Fluorite

Fluorite from Boltsburn mine at Rookhope in County Durham, is one of the top three most sought after localities in Weardale, due to its rare colour and superb optical properties. Admittedly, this specimen has many broken faces and faces whose growth has been constrained against adjacent minerals, although one almost complete cube nestles within this cluster, measuring 3.3 x 3.0 x 2.8 cm. The crystals exhibit colour zoning with some outer faces grading to pale lilac with narrow, deep purple bands. The entire ex-matrix cluster of Fluorite is the exquisite lilac-mauve for which Boltsburn gets its reputation and, in the main, has near perfect transparency, verging on gemmy. An incomplete yet terrific example of Fluorite from Boltsburn, with a smattering of micro-crystals of orange-tan Siderite on some faces. Under LWUV the Fluorite fluoresces intense rich and deep lilac. The low price of $270 reflects the damage and does in fact give very good value for what is a lovely and characteristic Boltsburn Fluorite.