Fluorite (rare spherical habit)

Item Description

These Fluorites were found around 2008. They are unique and beautiful with an unusual spherical habit from the Minggang Mine in Henan. This piece is one of the better examples we've had to offer in the auctions, and dates back to the initial discovery. It features a handful of beautiful botryoidal Fluorites with a gorgeous purple color measuring up to 2.1 cm, sitting in matrix. The color is stronger than most of this style from Minggang as it has a richer color, with decent internal translucency. Despite the fact that the Fluorites "balls" are not super lustrous, they still have a bit of a residual matte luster. One of the spheres is contacted, but the four main "balls" are damage-free. It's hard to find isolated spheres like this on matrix in my experience, and a piece like this would certainly make a worthwhile add to a Fluorite suite or a collection of Chinese minerals. If I had this one on the shelf for sale at a show, I would price it around $1,750 retail. 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/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.