Blue Fluorite with Smoky Quartz, Calcite & Muscovite

Description

Glassy blue to blue-green Fluorite cubes and stepped growth stand out against pale Calcite, layered Muscovite and Smoky Quartz. Larger cubes crown a richly textured matrix, creating a striking cabinet display.

Locality supplied: Yaogangxian Mine, Yaogangxian W–Sn Ore Field, Yizhang County, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China.

You will receive the exact specimen shown.

The recorded Muscovite association adds a second crystal habit to the piece. Mica forms layered sheets and blades, with a softer pearly reflection than many larger glassy crystals. Its overlapping growth provides both a setting and a visual contrast, so the matrix is part of the specimen’s character rather than simply a support.

The Muscovite association is part of the specimen’s visual character. Its layered mica plates produce pearly reflections and a different texture to the main crystals. The edges and overlapping sheets give the matrix detail of its own. This allows the piece to be appreciated as a natural mineral association, with both the featured crystals and their surrounding growth contributing to the display.

The accompanying Calcite contributes a different crystal habit and surface character to the specimen. Its lighter or more translucent areas provide a contrast with the other recorded growth, allowing their separate outlines to be followed. The association is worth appreciating as a whole, with the arrangement and contact between the minerals adding detail beyond the featured crystals alone.

Fluorite is calcium fluoride and crystallises in the cubic system. Cubes and octahedra are among its familiar forms, but intergrowths, modified faces and changes during growth can produce much more complex outlines. This combination of recognisable geometry and considerable variation makes Fluorite a rewarding mineral to collect by both crystal habit and locality.

Fluorite can be colourless or show a wide range of colours, sometimes within one specimen. Transparency, crystal thickness and illumination influence how those colours appear. Its glassy faces contrast with more textured areas and any accompanying matrix. Colour zoning and fluorescence are separate properties; a particular response under ultraviolet light should only be expected where it has been recorded for the individual piece.

The recorded origin is Yaogangxian Mine, Yaogangxian W–Sn Ore Field, Yizhang County, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China. Within a collection of Fluorite specimens, this locality gives the piece a geographical identity alongside its particular crystal habit and natural setting.

The specimen measures 14 × 9 × 7 cm, with a recorded weight of 945 g. Its scale gives the natural architecture room to be appreciated as a whole, while the finer growth provides detail for closer study.

Fluorite has well-developed cleavage and should be supported by its stable matrix or mount. Avoid pressing on projecting cubes or corners. A secure indoor position allows the natural geometry and colour to be appreciated while keeping the exposed growth protected.