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Fluorite (unusual material) on Quartz
- Ajanta, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, India
- Small Cabinet, 8.6 x 5.4 x 5.0 cm
- Start Time: 08/25/2011 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
- End Time: 09/01/2011 6:47:32 pm (CDT)
- Auction Closed
Item Description
Typically one is not accustomed to seeing Fluorite from a basalt flow like the Deccan Trappe in India. I have seen several different color of Fluorite from around this area including yellow, gold, red, pink and rarely lavender. The Fluorite on this specimen has a yellow or gold hue and despite the fact that it is not truly crystallized (it's essentially spherical and/or amorphous), it's very gemmy and eye-catching when backlit. The Fluorite is sitting on gemmy colorless Quartz crystals, some of which show very minor Amethyst and Smoky Quartz zones. Finally, the base/matrix for the piece is a bit of blue-grey Agate. Even though these Fluorites are fairly rare and unusual, this one stood out to me when I first saw it. It is contacted on the sides, but still a cool reference specimen of a common species that is RARELY found in this kind of environment.