Fluorite (''ice'' crystals) with Sphalerite (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

The prolific Huanggang Mine in Inner Mongolia has given collectors a wide range of beautiful Fluorite specimens, including some of the most beautiful colorless examples of the species ever found. This piece is a great example of what are called "ice" crystals of Fluorite, and the fact that they are colorless is a sign of chemical purity. This piece is an aesthetic, full-sized cabinet of these classic Fluorites from the Huanggang Mine featuring nearly a full coverage of notably sharp, VERY GEMMY, colorless textbook octahedral crystals of Fluorite measuring up to 2.2 cm on edge. In the center of the piece you'll see a group of well-formed, dark grey-black Sphalerite crystals, with the largest measuring up to 1.8 cm across. With strong backlighting, you can actually see the Sphalerites have a dark amber color internally. The piece is incredibly showy and displays wonderfully as you can see from the photos. The Fluorite crystals are nearly all damage free, but there are a few small rough spots. Overall it's a very impressive and truly eye-catching example of these wonderful specimens of this celebrated mineral species. Priced at $4,500 retail. 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.