Fluorite (phantom cubes) on Quartz and Muscovite (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

The Fluorites from the Yaogangxian Mine are some of the most recognizable and fine quality examples of the species from any Chinese locality. This lovely small cabinet display piece hosts and pair of very sharp, rather lustrous, gemmy, "phantom" cubes which show a mix of color blue, lilac and green hues which are sitting on Quartz and Muscovite on matrix. The largest Fluorite is actually an unusually elongated cube measuring 4.2 cm long, but the most interesting aspect of this cube is that it shows a rarely seen strong green "band" that runs across the top edge. You can see hints of green around the other edges of the crystal, but the color is strongest and most consistent along the top. Both of the Fluorite crystals appear to be damage free to the naked eye, though when I looked closely with a loupe I could see a few small imperfections. You don't see a lot of Yaogangxian Mine specimens on the market anymore, and if you collect Chinese minerals or worldwide Fluorites, don't miss out on this one as very few of this style and quality are out there. The piece displays wonderfully and really stands out as a fine example from this famous mine. Valued at $3,000 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/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.