FLUORITE. ...

Description

FLUORITE
Frazier's Hush Mine, Rookhope District, Weardale, North Pennines, County Durham, England
As a mine name, Frazier's Hush pays homage to "hushing", a medieval mining practice involving damming a stream, then breaching the dam to release a flood downstream, whereupon the water would strip the topsoil away and reveal any ore hidden by the soil mantle. The antiquity of the term gives an indication of just how long the deposits in northern England have been worked. During that time, literally hundreds of thousands of Fluorite specimens have been extracted from area mines and the relative value/quality standards for this mineral have been extremely well established. It is a tribute to this specimen's quality that it was acquired for the permanent collection of Mr. Lindsay Greenbank within one week of its emergence from the mine. Mr. Greenbank is one of the more prominent of English mineral collectors living in the U.K. In fact, a forthcoming publication will be chronicling his collection and will feature this specimen. It was removed from the south wall of the 340 Level of the mine in 1990. Glowing blue-purple penetration twinned crystals to 22 mm cover the upper surface of this world class specimen. Fluorite from this locality not only fluoresces in ultra-violet light (see photo), it even glows magnificently in ordinary daylight: the purple cubes producing an unearthly blue glow in simple daylight (see photo). This phenomenon is so strong that, as a group, these English Fluorites gave the name "fluorescence" to the effect, which is how the word entered the common parlance. The only time this Fluorite doesn't fluoresce is when seen under normal indoor lighting. The condition of the piece is excellent with glassy luster and exquisite transparency. The individual crystals are sharp and well formed. This is arguably one of the finest English Fluorites on display today. It measures 11 x 8 ½ x 2 ¾ inches.
Provenance: Lindsay Greenbank collection

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