Fluorite

This large miniature Fluorite is a stunning example of colour zoning from the famous Height's mine, close to Westgate in Weardale, County Durham.   The Fluorite coats all sides of a central rib of massive Fluorite with beautiful cubic crystals either side.  However, the display face contains intergrown cubes of sizes differing from 1.2 to over 2.5 cm, most with transparent outer zones grading to translucent cores, the latter containing creamy, feathered opaque structures.  The overall colour of the Fluorite is mild sea-green, but in the larger crystals the outer margins are alternatively colour-zoned lilac and colourless.  Such distinct zoning is rarely seen in material from Height’s, making this a rare specimen.  In direct daylight it fluoresces bright lilac-purple, particularly along the edges and corners.  In LWUV it turns brilliant lilac with white edges and at this wavelength the colour zoning jumps outs, displaying finer detail and structure than in visible light.  Scattered across the Fluorite are occasional small clusters of greyish off-white nail-head Calcite crystals, each to about 5 mm.  A sensationally zoned Fluorite from the famous Height's mine in Weardale.