Fluorite (gemmy ''phantom'' crystals) with Muscovite on Quartz

Item Description

The Yaogangxian Mine is unquestionably one of the great mineral localities in China. It has consistently been producing world-class specimens for a couple decades at this point. This small cabinet piece features several very sharp, incredibly gemmy, cubes of Fluorite with a wonderful mixture of pastel purple, green and blue hues measuring up to 2.1 cm on edge, which show "phantom" color zoning on the edges. The Fluorites are associated with beige colored groups of Muscovite which are sitting on gemmy prismatic Quartz matrix. No major damage that I can see, only minor roughness in a few spots. A very attractive piece from this iconic locality that would make a stellar addition to any Fluorite suite or a collection of either Chinese minerals, or specifically pieces from the Yaogangxian Mine. Valued $3,000.
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.