Fluorite (ex Willard Wulff Collection)

Minerva No. 1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois
Small Cabinet, 6.2 x 5.1 x 3.7 cm
Start Time: 02/23/2017 6:45:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 03/02/2017 6:48:45 pm (CST)
Auction Closed

Item Description

Here we have one of the great "classics" from the United States. Some of the most colorful and stunning Fluorite specimens ever found in the United States (or virtually any world locality) are those from Hardin County, Illinois. This district produced literally tons upon tons of some of the finest quality, multi-colored Fluorite the world has ever seen. This specimen mostly is yellow in hue, but we see distinct "phantom" lines of bluish-lilac on the edges. The quality is good for older material, with classic, lustrous, translucent, sharp cubic crystals with minor associated Pyrite / Marcasite. The largest crystal measures 2.2 cm on edge, and even though the piece is not perfect, it's still a nice display specimen of this beloved material. Like all specimens from this area, the color always looks better in sunlight, and the crystals are more vibrant when viewed outdoors. This area is completely closed down and there will never be any more Fluorite mined there. This specimen comes from the collection of Willard W. Wulff (1904-1998) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a prominent figure and collector of Colorado minerals. Wulff was one of the founding members of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society in 1936. You can read Willard's bio on the Mineralogical Record website here ( http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1528 ). The piece comes with a typed label from Wulff on one of his famous 3x5 index cards, stating that he acquired it from Pardo's Rocks and Minerals in Tucson, Arizona.

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