Fluorite (Dodecahedral Faces)

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Ross Lillie did not keep many thumbnails in the collection. It had to be something exceptional to qualify in this size range! This toenail Fluorite from the Denton Mine is such a piece, with one of the most strange crystal habits we have seen from the district. The central, 1.3-cm-tall Fluorite is a modified dodecahedron, where one side is completely flat. It is not cleaved, as evidenced by the intergrown Fluorite cube that emerges from the face. I have never seen a fluorite crystal quite like this, from ANYWHERE. The color is a deep purple with hints of blue, and most of the faces on the dodec and cubes are sharp and glassy. The contrast of two habits is quite interesting, as well. The uncommon habit makes this a remarkable specimen for the area, but it happens to also be gorgeous. One of the very few thumbnails in the Ross Lillie collection (mined in 1984) .