Fluorite (twinned) circa 1800s

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A large, imposing specimen of two-toned pale and dark purple fluorite that is classic for this old English iron ore district where abundant fluorite was mined as a byproduct. In fact, this is the region from where the very term fluorescence was coined, as the FLUOR-ite specimens came out of the mines and glowed in the sunlight! Most of these specimens from the Boltsburn are said to date from mining in both the early and into the mid-1800s. The mine was most famous for this style of fluorite characterized by big, gemmy, lustrous and interpenetrating crystals of huge size, sometimes in association with quartz. This wonderful piece is absolutely indicative of the mine and of its most famous style. The major crystal reaches 9.5 cm, nearly 4 inches in size and looks like it has snowflakes frozen inside! Its gem companion measures 4.1 cm. This piece fluoresces an intense solid purple under short wave UV. Overall, an important specimen both for the district and mine, and for Fluorite in general. This beauty has a mass of 405 grams and is imposing, in regular light or under a UV lamp for showing the fluorescence.