Fluorite (fluorescent) and Quartz with Calcite

Item Description

Quality, attractive combination piece of fluorite associated with a sparkling quartz coating from the El Hammam Mine in Morocco. The sharp cubes of mint-green Fluorite range up to 2.3 cm on edge, and except for where contacted along the bottom, they are completely covered by a thin layer of drusy Quartz crystals, possibly Beta Quartz. Seriously looking like they are 'iced-over', the Quartz coating helps the Fluorites blend in with the crystalline Quartz matrix, making them lovely to look at but consequently hard to photograph. The coating also adds a dramatic visual 'frame' to the vivid fluorescence of the Fluorite cubes. There is some associated Calcite, and in places there are dustings of lustrous, micro Pyrites. Better in person, the color contrast and balance of the piece, as well as the sparkle, create a very good aesthetic. El Hammam is known for its considerable color range in the Fluorites, possibly due to the addition of high levels of REE (Rare Earth Elements) to the normal chromophores, with the pleasant, mint-green color of these cubes being rather uncommon. From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl, 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. This piece is particularly elegant, and certainly not a common style here.