Fluorite phantom on Baryte

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A starkly contrasting, competition-level miniature from the famous Minerva #1 mine in southern Illinois, that has arguably produced some of the most beautiful fluorite specimens in the world. A single, gorgeous, multi-zoned crystal rests on a contrasting matrix of white, scintillating, botryoidal baryte, a rare matrix we seldom see from this locality. The fluorite crystal is 3.5 cm on longest edge with fantastic zoning that begins with a glowing yellow interior with a thin, pale yellow phantom that is outlined by a pencil-line thick, dark purple demarcation followed by an outer, 4-5 mm thick, completely transparent, pale purple-blue rim that is just sublime. Yellow is the rarest of colors from here, in good saturation, compared to blues and purples. The exterior of the fluorite is marked by tiny growth hillocks on the crystal faces that become slightly larger at the edges and corners for added textural aesthetics to complement the astounding visual aesthetics. Classic Minerva style! The rim of the fluorite fluoresces light purple, the interior a bright yellow and the baryte fluoresces a vivid orange-yellow. Excellent aesthetics, and in mint condition, this is a truly special piece of a very rare style. Mined in the early 1990s, such specimens are uncommon today. This is complete 360 degrees all around.