Fluorite with phantoms

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

This large and impressive fluorite cluster from the Denton mine in Illinois has complexly zoned, yellow and purple crystals that reach 7.0 cm across on edge! The piece consists of a large, pronounced, corner-up fluorite with a single step in the rear of the piece with two large, juxtaposed crystals in the front. The color-zoned phantoms start with pale yellow cores that are demarcated by a 2.0 mm dark purple band followed by a 5.0 mm pale purple zone that is rimmed by a distinct, dark purple zone and then several alternating pale blue and darker blue phantoms that are again defined by another distinct, dark purple zone and then a few alternating, thin, blue-purple and purple zones out to the margins of the crystals - the more you look at it, the more zones you see. Like many of these, it is dependent on a little backlighting but it is very translucent, and needs little light to show it's true colors. Complex and beautiful old classic American specimen! Ex. Allen Dillwith Collection.