Fluorite

When one thinks of Sweet Home mine in the Alma District of Park County, Colorado one instantly has visions of the most wonderful Rhodochrosite specimens, but the mine has produced other interesting minerals too. This cabinet specimen of rich, purple Fluorite, in cubes to 4 mm on edge was extracted from "Bill's Pocket" in Mini-King Raise at Sweet Home mine during the the operations undertaken by Bryan Lees. Formerly in the collection of Arvid Eric Pasto, it is figured (figure 78 on page 53) in his 2009 book, "Collector's Guide to Fluorite". The crystals are glassy and bright and display beautiful colour zoning. It really is a lovely Fluorite, albeit with smaller crystals, and all the more pleasing that it is from the famous Sweet Home mine.