FLUORITE

01618

Locality

La Collada, La Collada Mining Area, Siero, Asturias, Spain

Dimensions (H x W x D)

14 x 17 x 16 cm

Weight

4.383 kg

Description & Provenance

Thanks to its diversity and beauty, fluorite is considered a staple in nearly all mineral collections. It can form in a variety of shapes and in a myriad of colors. In fact, it’s considered one of the most colorful minerals on earth. The top locales for fluorite have distinct characteristics, each with their own combination of color(s) or shape(s). Great fluorites from top localities can often be distinguished by sight alone.

Asturias, a small region in the north of Spain, is one such locality. Its known for incredible fluorites that came from just a handful of its mines. Crystals are cubic and range between vivid tones of blue and purple. The specimens from La Collada, specifically, are known for deeply saturated shades of indigo, grape, and blue. Its cubes also tend to have textured, matte, beveled edges. The best examples came from the cross gallery of the mine which closed in 1977, making fine-caliber specimens from La Collada irreplaceable.

This is one such example. It comprises a cluster of sizable, lustrous, intergrown, cubic crystals. The crystals have saturated, grape-purple outer zones, and intense, indigo-blue cores. They have excellent translucency that allows them to illuminate beautifully. They also have the tell-tale, matte, beveled edges for which the locality is known. Anchoring the presentation is a primary crystal at the ideal orientation for admiration. All of these wonderful characteristics are enhanced by the presence of a stark-white, calcite matrix (host-rock). Between its impressive size, color, and form, it’s a fantastic example from the locality and would make an excellent addition to any collection.

For more information about this mineral specimen please .