Fluorite ("phantom" cube) on Muscovite (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

A classic and a staple from the Yaogangxian Mine. The Fluorites from this locality are some of the most distinctive, eye-catching and highest quality examples from any Chinese locality. This particular piece hosts a beautiful, 2.6 cm, razor-sharp, highly lustrous, GEM quality, green and purple "phantom" cube that is wonderfully isolated and aesthetically perched atop silvery-beige Muscovite matrix. The reverse side of the piece shows several beautifully crystallized Quartz crystals. The Fluorite appears to be damage free to the naked eye on the display side, though when I looked closely with a loupe I could see a few imperfections. Additionally, I found a smaller phantom Fluorite crystal measuring a few mm that is nearly colorless with a fantastic purple "core". Overall, it's very difficult to obtain pieces of this quality with such excellent aesthetics and balance. The piece displays wonderfully and really stands out as a fine example from this famous mine. Valued at $1,500 in the inventory. 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/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.