Fluorite with RARE Andradite Garnet inclusions

Item Description

The famous Naica Mine is one of the most prestigious localities in the world, partially for the numerous fine quality mineral specimens it has produced, but it's also home to the famous "Cave of Swords" (Cueva de Espadas) where gigantic Gypsum crystals measuring up to 11.40 meters (37.4 feet) have been found. This piece is an older specimen dating back to the 1970s. It would be a fantastic Fluorite in its own right, but it has an added bonus in the fact that there are several tiny reddish-brown colored dodecahedral crystals of Andradite Garnet frozen inside! You can see the color of the Garnets glow when the piece is backlit, but it was virtually impossible to photograph them, and they have to be seen in person. The Fluorite crystal is a remarkably fine quality stepped octahedron measuring 5.6 cm on edge with a satiny luster, good internal gemminess and colorless hue. Keep in mind that all Fluorite crystals get their color from some kind of chemical impurity (chromophore), so when you find crystals like this which are essentially colorless, it's a sign of chemical purity for the species. A bit of associated Quartz, Galena and Pyrite can be seen on the underside of the piece. I love the way the piece presents with that big showy octahedron sitting atop the specimen. No damage that I can see of note, and the RARE Andradite inclusions make it all the more enticing. Priced at $2,500 in our inventory.