Fluorite with Smoky Quartz on Microcline

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Although well-known as a pegmatite locality Stove Mountain in El Paso County, Colorado has rarely produced display-worthy mineral specimens. This cabinet-sized piece from Arvid Pasto's famous Fluorite collection features a cream coloured Microcline crystal coated pegmatite upon which sit two twinned Fluorite crystals and several pale smoky-brown Smoky Quartz crystals. The Fluorite and Quartz are both naturally etched, with slightly crazed surfaces, but are unusually well-formed and aesthetically arranged for this locality. The Fluorite crystals are pale purple to greyish and translucent on their frosted interiors but have striking small darker purple triangular corners adding to their character. The main Smoky Quartz crystal is unusual too, with a cloudy interior, but showing a strange pseudo-sceptre crystal shape, where the lower half tapers gently upwards, but suddenly goes back to being straight just before its sloping pyramidal termination. This gives the impression of a sceptre, of sorts. A really usual pegmatite specimen from Colorado, and with no Amazonite!