Fluorite ("phantom" cube) with Calcite on Muscovite (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

The Yaogangxian Mine has produced some of the most iconic mineral specimens from any Chinese locality. This mine is famous for its amazing Fluorites which are some of the most eye-catching, high quality and distinctive examples out there. This is a wonderful small cabinet dsiplay specimen featuring a cubic crystal group of very sharp, highly lustrous, GEMMY, rich blue and purple color "phantom" crystals of Fluorite with the largest crystal measuring 1.8 cm on edge sitting on a layer of Muscovite on martix with accenting soft yellow color Calcite rhombs sprinkled about. Looking closely, it appears that the Fluorite is damage free, but when I looked closely with a loupe I could see a few VERY TINY imperfections. You can see from the photos that the piece displays beautifully. Despite the amount of good specimens that made their way to the market, it seems that the this locality has dried up, and these classic Fluorites are now difficult to obtain. Valued at $1,750 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/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.