Fluorite (gemmy multi-color ''phantom'' cubes) on Arsenopyrite

Item Description

Over the last couple decades, we've seen hundreds of localities produced crystallized Fluorite specimens in China, but the Yaogangxian Mine is among the most prestigious due to the quantity and quality of its specimens. These fantastic speicmens from this now classic mine will go down among the most distinctive, eye-catching and downright impressive found in China. Here we have a showy small cabinet display specimen featuring fine quality, sharp, lustrous, gemmy, light purple colored cubes of Fluorite measuring up to 3.3 cm on edge sitting on silvery metallic Arsenopyrite matrix. When backlit, you can see the crystals feature attractive internal "phantoms". While the main crystal shows mostly a purple hue, I can see a bit of a blue shade on the edges, and one of the smaller Fluorites has a stark glowing blue-green zone on one edge when backlit! The main Fluorite appears to be damage free to the naked eye, but one edge has an interrupted growth where it grew against the pocket wall. The piece displays wonderfully and stands out as a fine example from this famous mine. I'm sure many of you know how difficult it has become to obtain pieces of this quality with such excellent aesthetics and balance today. Valued at $1,800 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/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.