Fluorite (GEM colorless crystal) on Quartz (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

This remote Chinese locality has become a prolific producer of fine quality crystallized specimens. This beautiful small cabinet / large miniature display specimen hosts, a WATER CLEAR, colorless, octahedral Fluorite crystal sitting atop scepter habit Quartz crystals matrix with mossy-green Hedenbergite underneath. The Fluorite crystal is so transparent, that you can see directly through it to the matrix underneath! Overall, the piece is in superb condition, as I cannot find any major damage to the Fluorite group, just a tiny bit nick on the top corner that is hard to see without a loupe. The piece actually sits quite beautifully on its own without the aid of a base or clay, but it's still precarious, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend displaying it this way. A wonderful and showy example of this gorgeous material. Priced at $1,500 in the inventory. Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.