Strontianite on Fluorite

Item Description

Strontianite is one of those forgotten, less glamorous minerals from Illinois, as most collectors focus on the fluorite and calcite, maybe the witherite, and dismiss strontianite to the category of "association" on something good. Not so here! This specimen is all about the strontianite, which is of a very very high quality seldom seen - and sits atop a blue fluorite as its matrix! So, we get both mineral significance and a color contrast and aesthetics of display that is uncommon for both species and locality. The strontianite spray is just under 5 cm tall, and is a complete and very 3-dimensional spray of crystals like a flower. It is perched perfectly. The whole cluster is largely intact, although there is some damage or contact, as would be expected, to smaller crystals at the edges (only visible on really close inspection). Frankly, it is one of the more dramatic such specimens we have seen. It comes with a Ross Lillie label noting on the backside that it was mined in May of 1995 (Ross would know - was mine geologist at the time). Rick Dalrymple bought this in 1996, shortly after. This is a shocking miniature, for the species and locality. We value it highly. Strong yellow fluorescence to the strontianite, by the way, is a neat bonus.