Fluorite (''ice crystals'') on Magnetite (rare combo)

Item Description

A highly aesthetic and excellent cabinet-sized piece of these classic Fluorites from the Huanggang Mine. 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. A wonderfully isolated crystal group of sharp, gemmy, lustrous, colorless cuboctahedral crystals of Fluorite measuring 4.2 cm at its longest dimension are aesthetically sitting on a crystallized matrix of defined dodecahedral, dark brown-black colored Magnetite crystals, which is a rare association from this mine. Accenting beige Dolomite is also present on the piece, creating a nice lighter aspect of contrast against the Magnetites. The underside of the piece does show some partial colorless Quartz crystals. The piece is incredibly showy and aesthetic and displays wonderfully as you can see from the video. The Fluorite group is damage free as far as I can see with the naked eye. A really fine example of this hard to find association from this prolific contemporary locality. Valued $3,500
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.