FLUORITE with DOLOMITE

Shangbao mine in Leiyang County, Hunan Province was one of the first 'great' Chinese producers of exceptionally high quality Fluorite crystals, from the earliest years of the 21st century, but despite their striking colours and magnificent complex crystal forms specimens are now seen for sale less often than some of the other contemporary Chinese Fluorite occurrences. This lovely cabinet-sized display piece presents the classic, sharp, cubo-octahedral Fluorite crystal form, with pronounced bevelled edges, rich purple colour and great transparency with internal colour zonation, most notably as darker purple 'cross'-shaped lines. Individually, the largest crystal reaches 2.2 cm across and they sit upon a contrasting white crystallized Dolomite matrix, covered with twisted, saddle-shaped crystals mostly 5 to 6 mm across, but exceptionally reaching 1 cm in length. The main Fluorite crystal is in great condition overall, but a few of the smaller crystals have slight chipping to one corner, usually those out of sight from the display direction. There is also a little light scuffing to some of the Dolomite crystals, but their rough, pearlescent texture disguises this. Overall, a really pretty classic display specimen of this wonderful crystallographic form of Fluorite.