Fluorite (urban Beijing!)

Item Description

Beautiful and uncommon rich marine-blue, gemmy and lustrous fluorite cubes form a sculptural, intergrown, small cabinet from a new find in Urban Beijing. The cubes, to 2.4 cm on edge, have subtle interior and edge phantoms, adding character. Two of the cubes also have very interesting and unusual modified corners and edges, that look etched. In good shape, overall, with only a trivial bit of edge wear. This old urban Beijing mine was worked with forced labor during World War II and then abandoned. Local collectors recently entered the old workings and recovered a limited number of these beauties during Covid in 2022-23. Rich purple LW UV fluorescence. Most specimens were yellow fluorite, with blue ones like this being much rarer. A choice and fine example.