Fluorite (superb GEM crystals - 1990s)

Item Description

The famous Shangbao Mine in China is simply one of the top Fluorite-producing localities in the entire country, which is really saying something as there are many top-tier mines throughout the nation that have produced excellent Fluorites over the last 25 years or so. With that said, the first-rate and truly beautiful Fluorites from Shangbao are a staple of any Fluorite collection or Chinese mineral collection. This wonderful miniature sized display specimen hosts superb, GEM QUALITY, sharp, lustrous, very well-formed Fluorite crystals measuring up to 1.4 cm that are aesthetically perched atop a matrix composed of pale beige rhombic Dolomite. The habit is largely cubic, but there are very thin dodecahedral modifications along the edges. The Fluorites have a very pale greenish hue, and a couple of them have dark inky purple hues in the centers of the crystals. No major damage I can find, only a bit of incompleteness around the periphery where it was separated from the pocket wall. The piece displays wonderfully as you can see, and it really stands out as a fine example from this famous mine.
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.