Calcite on Fluorite. Minerva No. 1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Cave-in-Rock Mining Sub-District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA. 32.5 x 2...

Description

Calcite on Fluorite
Minerva No. 1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Cave-in-Rock Mining Sub-District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA
32.5 x 26.0 x 9.0 cm (12.8 x 10.2 x 3.5 in)

Truly deserving of the epithet "museum-quality," this one of a kind cluster of Fluorite is an exemplary find from the Minerva No. 1 Mine, a crowning example of just how good American minerals can be. Not only is this a massive cluster at nearly 33 centimeters wide, but the crystals themselves are very large, reaching up to 12 centimeters on the edge. The color is a lovely combination of bright sunflower yellow and sky blue, delineated by a quarter-inch thick zoning area in the edges of all crystals. Between the zoning layers is a rich, star-like smattering of sparkling Chalcopyrite crystals, scattered across the entirety of the specimen. Finally, as the cherry on top, the Fluorite cubes are accented by white, doubly-terminated Calcite crystals, already very pretty in their own right, over the dual-colored Fluorites without being overwhelming. No words can understate the significance of a specimen like this for any lover of American minerals. This specimen has some edge restorations and fracture fills. This specimen comes with a custom milled base for easy displaying.

This specimen was in the collection of Mark Pospisil, a renowned collector of aesthetic and fluorescent specimens, and serves as Yale University's Peabody Museum board of advisors. It is pictured as one of his collection pieces in the "Private Mineral Collections in Texas" supplement of the Mineralogical Record.

Ex. Mark Pospisil collection.
Ex. Thomas Everitt collection (#TAE-374).

Illustrations:
Mineralogical Record (Supplement, January-February 2009), "Private Mineral Collections in Texas," p. 10.

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