Fluorite (cuboctahedrons) (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

The green Fluorites from this locality are some of the most attractive representations of the species from any Chinese locality. This beautiful small cabinet sized specimen features a coverage of GEM QUALITY, sharp, colorless, well-formed cuboctahedral crystals measuring up to 1.7 cm sitting atop a previous generation of beautiful gemmy, "water green" colored octahedral crystals of Fluorite. The cuboctahedral crystals formed in a later generation, and I just love the excellent symmetry, geometry and overall form. The piece is not only three dimensional and showy, but depending upon the angle in which it's viewed, each crystal has a clear distinction from one another that allows them to stand out to the eye. Overall, the specimens is in fantastic condition, with only a few tiny imperfections that I can find with the naked eye. Additionally the underside of the piece is actually recrystallized ("re-healed") where it was contacted at one point, but had the ability to finish growing, so you almost have no points of contact. A fantastic overall specimen of this now less common material on the market with superior size, quality and overall crystal form. Valued at $2,000 in the inventory. Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.