Fluorite (classic "phantom" crystals)

Minerva No. 1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois
Small Cabinet, 5.3 x 4.9 x 3.3 cm
Start Time: 02/28/2019 6:30:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 03/07/2019 6:45:00 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 of some of the finest quality, multi-colored, "phantom" Fluorite specimen the world has ever seen. This beautiful display piece features good sized, very sharp, lustrous, incredibly gemmy cubic crystals of Fluorite free of matrix. The quality is great for the material with only a few TINY imperfections blemishes, but overall nearly completely damage free. The back of the piece is not broken but actually recrystallized or healed ("rehealed" as some might say), so it's virtually crystallized all the way around and is nearly a complete floater. Like all specimens from this area, the color always looks better in sunlight, and the crystals are more vibrant when viewed outdoors, but the indoor photos we took still show beautiful golden, blue and purple tones. Lastly, there seems to be a thin black layer from what I assume is some kind of hydrocarbon, rarely seen in this material however. This area is completely closed down and there will never be any more Fluorite mined there. A colorful and gemmy large miniature / small cabinet display specimen of this well known material. Priced in the inventory at $3,000 and worth it for the size, quality and beautiful color. The piece comes with a FREE custom lucite base.

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