Fluorite (fantastic morphology) on Quartz

Item Description

Going back to the 1980s, the Kara-Oba Mine produced some unique and beautiful mineral specimens which are instantly recognizable, once you're familiar with the material. The Fluorites from this mine are beautiful examples of the species, with colorful crystals and alluring colors. This large cabinet display specimen features an excellent 3.7 cm complex stepped crystal of Fluorite that is octahedral in shape, but is filled with sharp, defined cubic faces on all sides, aesthetically perched on prismatic, slightly smoky colored Quartz crystals that feature a secondary crystallization on the prims, creating an almost "Cactus Quartz" effect. The Fluorite crystal might appear black on the surface, but with strong backlighting, you can see the interior is actually gemmy(!) and features a combination of very dark purple and very light green hues. Overall, the piece is in great shape, though it's contacted on the base where it was removed from the pocket wall. I've never seen such a wonderfully complex and morphologically intriguing Fluorite crystal like this so beautifully isolated and perched on Quartz crystals from this mine. It's a remarkable specimen and certainly a must-have if you're a fan of Fluorites, crystal habits or minerals from the former Soviet Union. The piece was priced at $5,000 in our inventory. From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#685 R), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection over the next two to three years through our various platforms.