Through the 1970's, the West Pasture Mine was an active fluorspar mine, but since then the locality has remained viable only for specimen collecting. It can still produce Fluorite specimens with a range of colors, but it's lovely, apple-green Fluorites are rather unique for England. The crystals, gemmy with silky luster, range up to 1.6 cm on edge, and they richly cover the matrix, along with some gemmy and lustrous Quartz crystals. Holding them up to light and looking closely, you can see that the Fluorites have a sharp, dark green phantom just below the surface. These add a good deal of interest and aesthetics to the crystals. The fluorescence is a vivid purple-blue, and it helps to underscore just why the term 'fluorescent' is derived from the English specimens of "Fluorite". This is one of the nicest, apple-green English Fluorites I have seen. Like many Fluorites, and some other minerals as well, these are light sensitive, so do not display or store them anywhere near a bright light, particularly sunlight. This is a classic old find, immediately recognizable to those who know them and yet seldom seen for sale.
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