Calcite on Fluorite

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One of my favorite specimens in the Ross Lillie collection, this piece to me is iconic for its association of species and color palette. The jewel-like calcites atop are sparkling and bright, with an unusual and elegant curve to them. They contrast to the sharp, intense blue fluorite which also has a rich purple phantom within. The piece is actually a floater, complete all around and then crystallized minutely on the bottom where it grew off a matrix and fell off at some point in the past. It is able to be displayed 360 degrees, and looks different from each angle. In person, the phantoms can be made more robust by backlighting - these photos were shot only in normal halogen lights with no special backlighting. The specimen is one of several we used in our Denver show ad for the release of another traunch of this fantastic and important collection of Illinois classics. RCL # 0087, mined in early March of 1993 and in the Lillie collection for 20 years since. It LEAPS out at you, when on display in a case. Joe Budd photos.