Fluorite on Quartz

Item Description

This specimen of spherical fluorite is from a 2011 find from this now well-known Inner Mongolia, China locality. We call these 'bug-eye' fluorites for their isolated, bulbous shape. The lustrous and translucent fluorites, to 2.1 cm, are actually composed of sharp, intergrown, pretty sea-green octahedrons with scattered complementary purple octahedra. The 'bug-eye' rests on the undulating field of nubby quartz crystals over a matrix core of massive bladed sulfide ore. Trivial bruising is noted to only one of the seven primary fluorites, as is trivial bruising and some periphery wear to the quartz. This remains a large, showy, striking and rich example of this rare fluorite form from the Huanggang Mine.