Fluorite

A superb small cabinet specimen of translucent to semi-transparent and often quite gemmy, interpenetrant Fluorite twins with rare single crystals.  The Fluorite covers a completely sawn base of thinly bedded alternating layers of ironstone and Fluorite, interesting in its own right.  The Fluorite varies in colour from deep blackberry through lilac to almost colourless.  In some crystals much of the prism can appear mild sea green, giving the specimen a distinct bi-coloured appearance, especially around the perimeter.  From the Purple Rain Pocket in Lady Annabella mine, Eastgate, Weardale, County Durham, England, this was mined in the early summer of 2021.  The largest prism measures to 2 cm on edge and all prisms have an elongated cubic habit.  Although the prism faces first appear glassy, they tend to have a greasy to waxy lustre.  The Fluorite displays good to excellent daylight fluorescence and under LWUV fluoresces bright lavender cream.