Fluorite (''ice crystal'') (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

A highly aesthetic small cabinet of these classic Fluorites from the Huanggang Mine. This piece features a predominant, 2.1 cm, sharp, GEMMY, colorless octahedral crystal of Fluorite sitting on small white rhombs of Calcite upon a matrix of dark grey-black Löllingite / Arsenopyrite. This particular combination is not terribly common in my experience with this material. Minor black Sphalerite and dark green Hedenbergite can be seen on the piece as well for a nice touch. You can see a few small cubic modifications on the corners of the Fluorite crystal, which gives it character. This a classic example of the "ice" Fluorite crystals which get their name due to their lack of any color (a sign of chemical purity for Fluorite) and excellent internal gemminess. The piece is incredibly showy and aesthetic and displays wonderfully as you can see from the photos. No major damage that I can see to the main Fluorite crystal. Priced at $2,000 retail in our 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.