Fluorite

specimen number:
9731002

location:
Annabel Lee Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
Beautiful large color zoned corner of lustrous glassy crystallized fluorite. Light bluish purple on the exterior, the interior is a rich yellow color. Natural growth features along the sides, this is in great condition with just tiny micro-damage present. Shows nicely all around and absolutely gorgeous when backlit.

Located in the Cave-in-Rock Mining District of Hardin County, Illinois, the Annabel Lee Mine was a prominent underground fluorite operation developed along the sub-vertical Commodore fault system within Mississippian limestone bedrocks. Hydrothermal solutions migrating through regional structural faults deposited extensive replacement and cavity-fill mineral deposits, giving rise to classic Mississippi Valley-type ore bodies. Opened in the late twentieth century by the Ozark-Mahoning Company, the mine was worked primarily for commercial fluorspar until its closure in the mid-1990s. Beyond its industrial importance, the mine gained legendary status among mineral collectors for producing magnificent specimens of fluorite, renowned for their intense purple, blue, and yellow color zoning, sharp cubic crystal form, and aesthetic association with golden yellow chalcopyrite and lustrous sphalerite.

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