Fluorite with Dolomite

specimen number:
8311303

location:
Shangbao Mine, Leiyang Co., Hunan, China

description:

Beautiful light green to purple gemmy octahedral crystals of fluorite to 3.0 cm in size arranged aesthetically up on a dolomite crystal covered matrix. This is in super condition all around. Quite showy example from this future classic Chinese locality.

The Shangbao Mine, located in Leiyang, Hengyang Prefecture, Hunan Province, China, is an internationally acclaimed locality for spectacular crystallized fluorite and quartz. Geologically, the deposit is a hydrothermal skarn type formed at the contact between Mesozoic granitic intrusions and Carboniferous to Permian limestone and marble beds. This environment fostered the growth of exceptionally clear, often color-zoned fluorite crystals in shades of purple, green, and blue, frequently occurring as complex cubo-octahedrons associated with "spectacular" large, transparent quartz crystals. Historically, the mine began significant operations in the mid-20th century as a source of industrial fluorspar and tungsten ore. While active commercial mining for industrial materials has fluctuated over the decades, the site gained global fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s when high-quality mineral specimens began entering the international market. Today, the Shangbao Mine is considered a modern classic of Chinese mineralogy, even as production has slowed, with its distinctive "phantom" fluorite and quartz combinations remaining highly prized by collectors worldwide.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.