Fluorite (fluorescent) on Quartz

Item Description

The Blanchard Mine is well-known for its blue Fluorites, and often, such as here, these blues are highlighted by purple. The luster is often silky and variable, with the cubic habit uniform and sharp. The crystals rest on a bed of short Quartz crystals, which are often in rosettes. Below that the matrix is silicified limestone. If you have ever collected here, you know that this country rock is hard, so when you can pull out a fine specimen like this, the satisfaction is so much greater. The Fluorites even fluoresce a rich royal blue. Probably from the #1 tunnel (or adit), this quality small cab is highly representative of the choice blue Fluorites that come from there. By the way, the mine is right alongside the White Sands Missile Range, and just over the mountain from the Trinity Site. Cool, cool, cool.