Fluorite on Quartz (old classic ca. 1940-50s) Lillie Coll.

Item Description

An important and excellent old-time combination locality piece from this less well-known mine. Beautiful, lustrous and translucent, rich violet-purple fluorites cubes, to 1.2 cm, are festooned on the 3-dimensional matrix of spherical aggregates of sparkly quartz points. This is classic, old-time material from this mine dating from the 1930s to 1950s, as the mine closed in the early 1960s. The Deardorff was considered to be the specimen mine of this period in Southern Illinois. Ex Ross Lillie Collection # 2298 and mined ca. 1940s-50s, according to his label. Modest purple fluorescence. Essentially pristine. Valued at $1250 by the former dealer and is possibly worth more for quality and rarity. The piece has two fine display views.