Fluorite (rare locality specimen) (ex Al Kidwell Collection)

Item Description

A seldom seen specimen of Fluorite from the lesser-known Watson Mountain Prospect in Grant Co., New Mexico. I don't think we've ever had a Fluorite from this locality to offer in the auctions before this piece. This cabinet display specimen hosts a rich coverage of excellent, sharp, gemmy, well-formed fine green color Fluorite crystals measuring up to 1.2 cm sitting on a thin layer of Quartz on host rock matrix. The Fluorites show a combination of an octahedral habit/shape with cube/dodecahedral overgrowths, creating these cool "pagoda"-shaped crystals. Virtually all of the Fluorite are undamaged, but rough spots can be seen around the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. Valued at $850 for the size, quality and the rare locale. From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974.