Fluorite (penetration twin) (classic locality)

Item Description

A fine quality classic Fluorite specimen from this historic locality in the North Pennines. The Boltsburn Mine dates back to the early 1800s, and the entry on mindat.org states that it closed in 1931, and briefly was reopened in 2010 by some locals collectors. With that said, most specimens you'll see on the market from this locality are antiques, dating back well over 100 years, and this piece is a great example of said material. This wonderful miniature sized display specimen features a sharp, well-formed, classic penetration twin (on a cube diagonal twinning axis) of Fluorite with the largest crystal measuring 3.5 cm on edge. On the surface, the crystals have a matte luster with an almost silvery hue, but when backlit, there are more light blue and or lavender shades that can be seen, as the piece shows a bit of color change from halogen lighting (more a lavender hue) to sunlight (more of a pale blue tone). No major damage to the front/display side of the piece, and if you collect Fluorites, twinned crystals or specimens from around Weardale, this is a great old example of this important historic material.
From the worldwide mineral collection of Rich ("Dick") Hauck of New Jersey with a label from the collection of Harold C. Buckelew. Dick is an avid collector of minerals, books, and mining memorabilia, along with being an accomplished author in the mineral world. Arguably, his greatest claim to fame is being the co-founder of the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ. Dick purchased the land on which the Sterling Hill Mine resides in 1988, and the museum has been running strong since.