A published Illinois Fluorite… and an absolute icon

A published Illinois fluorite… and an absolute icon.

Some specimens earn a place in a collection.

The truly exceptional ones earn a place in the literature.

This spectacular Denton Mine fluorite is Specimen AEP 796, published in A. Pasto’s Collector’s Guide to Fluorite as Figure 70 on page 49—a testament to its exceptional quality and significance.

The piece is everything collectors hope to find in a classic Illinois fluorite: razor-sharp cubic architecture, mesmerizing phantom zoning, and rich violet hues that seem to glow from within. Every angle reveals another geometric masterpiece, reminding us why the Illinois–Kentucky Fluorspar District continues to produce some of the world’s most celebrated fluorites.

A specimen with this combination of aesthetics, locality, and documented publication history is far more than a beautiful crystal—it’s part of fluorite collecting history.

Fluorite
Denton Mine
Illinois–Kentucky Fluorspar District
Hardin County, Illinois, USA

Published: Collector’s Guide to Fluorite by A. Pasto
Figure 70 • Page 49

For the serious fluorite collector, pieces like this represent the pinnacle of the hobby.

The hunt never stops.