Fluorite (fluorescent) on Pyrite

Item Description

This excellent and very showy miniature is from a small recent, mid-January of 2010, find at the renowned Huanzala Mine of Peru. It produced a number of pink octahedral fluorites associated with sharp, accenting, melted-look galena crystals or bright, brassy pyrite crystals. This is the first major find of pink fluorites at Huanzala, since the world-famous 1980 find. However, few of the fluorites were glassy, most having the matte faces typical of this mine. This piece is STRONGLY ATYPICAL, in that the two sharp intergrown, cuboctahedrons, to 2.0 cm, are glassy and very gemmy with modified octohedral faces with minute and intricate surface modifications. The intergrown octos rest on a floor of golden pyrite pyritohedrons. The color is a rich pink hue. For the size range, this is a very fine piece, with fine form. The fluorites are pristine and there are only a few attachment points on the sides of the pyrite field. Valued at $300-400. Purple fluorescence.