Green Fluorite with Rhodochrosite (ex Brian Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

The world famous Sunnyside Mine produced some of the most attractive and well-known Rhodochrosites from any mine in Colorado. As a matter of fact, before the Sweet Home Mine was producing specimens as far back as Richard Kosnar in the 1970s, virtually all collectors associated the Sunnyside Mine with Colorado Rhodochrosite. This locality is completely closed down, and it's quite difficult to get your hands on any good specimens today. One of the most desirable combinations / associations from this locality are the beautiful gemmy green Fluorites with pink Rhodochrosite, and this piece is a great example of said material. This gorgeous small cabinet specimen features gemmy, beautiful green color, lustrous, sharp, highly modified / complex Fluorite crystal groups measuring up to 1.8 cm across, associated with gorgeous soft pink color, sharp rhombs of Rhodochrosite with minor matrix. The Fluorite color is actually best seen when the piece is viewed from underneath, as there is a good amount of Fluorite, but most of it is covered by Rhodochrosite on the surface. The main Fluorite groups shows octahedral, dodecahedral, cubic and a few TINY tetrahexahedral faces, and looks beautiful close up. Good condition on the top / display side, but contacted underneath where it was removed from the pocket wall. An eye-catching display specimen for any collector of Fluorites, Rhodochrosites or Colorado minerals. It should be noted that many of these pieces are labeled as coming from the American Tunnel, which wasn't actually a mine, and all the good Rhodos came from the upper levels of the Sunnyside Mine. From the collection of Brian Kosnar.