Fluorite with Calcite

$900.00

$40.00 shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from USA

Crystal ClassicsFeatured

Tucson, Arizona, USA

7,543 for sale·132 sold

The underlying convoluted architecture of a banded light and dark grey limestone matrix manifests as a delightfully sculptural display of lavender-purple Fluorite crystals from Blackdene Mine. Blackdene is adjacent to the small village of Ireshopeburn by the River Wear, from which the name Weardale is derived. This lead and fluorspar mine is amongst the oldest in County Durham, dating to at least the early 15th century (early 1400's). This beautiful, good-sized cabinet specimen is encrusted with translucent Fluorite crystals averaging 0.6 to 1 cm on edge and up to about 1.7 cm. The larger crystals tend to be twinned, a characteristic often observed in many species. The entire specimen is richly dusted with snow-white stubby Quartz crystals and although preferentially coated, do coat all the Fluorite crystal faces to a lesser extent. Not as readily apparent, several small, equant frosted white Calcite crystals are scattered over the specimen, almost spherical to about 5 mm diameter with multi-faceted faces. In direct daylight the Fluorite is a beautiful pastel lavender dappled with the white Quartz. Under LWUV the Fluorite fluoresces bright lilac with lilac-white tinged edges while the areas rich in Quartz adopt a pale salmon hue. An excellent and showy Blackdene Fluorite with Calcite and Quartz.