Fluorite

Unknown Owner

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This specimen is from the new pocket found in 2007 at these Alpine heights, is INTENSE color for a pink fluorite, almost red. These pieces have been priced at, and sold, for big money - the reason being obvious in person when you compare the color saturation and gemminess/transparency on one from this pocket, to previous finds or the general "Chamonix pink" style. This pocket will stand on its own merits, as one of the great Alpine finds, I believe. Pink or red fluorite is always pricey, but in context, for the quality compared to the norm, these are worth it in my opinion. This particular piece looks like it should be worth far more..it has two SHARP and totally transparent, gemmy octohedra to 3.2 cm on edge, side by side. A small bit of adularia matrix is attached at the bottom. From the front, it looks pristine and dramatically 3-dimensional. The reason it is more reasonably priced than the piece above (#338) is simply because the back here is incomplete. The crystals pulled off from the matrix, leaving a contact face and a small bit of broken fluorite at the upper-right "shoulder" behind the rightmost octohedron. The lower-right photo is shot purposefully looking down a little bit, to accentuate the view to the back of the piece and in fact show the piece at its worst angle. From head-on, all you see is actually the two razor-sharp, gemmy octos and their equally sharp, upwards-thrusting points with a small hillock in between. It is a dramatic piece that displays well and conveys all the color an dtransparency that will make this pocket a classic to remember, without quite the full price that the miners are selling all-around octohedra for.