Fluorite with Quartz (old classic) Kidwell Coll.

Item Description

Sharp, translucent, bi-colored, violet, purple and blue fluorite cubes with satin lustre faces are beautifully set on the sculptural large elongated matrix covered with sparkly drusy quartz and scattered small galena and sphalerite crystals. The cubes are up to 2.6 cm and have a warm glow, when backlit. Modest dark purple fluorescence. This is a rare, rich and distinctive large old-time combination from this well-known Cave-in-Rock mine. According to economic mineralogist Allen V. Heyl, "The Deardorff mine was THE specimen mine of the 1930's - 1950's. It closed in the early 1960's." Essentially pristine, with only trivial corner bruising to the two end fluorite cubes. Ex Al Kidwell Collection. 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. An outstanding large old-time combination with fine aesthetics. Specimens are rarely on the market from the W.L. Davis-Deardorff Mine in this quality.