Fluorite: Xianghualing Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China

Description

Species: Fluorite

Locality: Xianghualing Mine (Hsianghualing Mine), Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field, Linwu Co., Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Dimensions: 16.5 x 9 x 8 cm.

China’s Xianghualing mine has produced superb and varied fluorite crystals, typically in shades of green, for nearly twenty years. This is a superb, highly-aesthetic large cabinet size example from early finds at the locality, featuring one of my personal favorite “style” of Chinese fluorite: sharp, gemmy, lustrous green cubes to 3 cm which have overgrown an earlier generation of gray-green octahedral crystals. The contrast between the two generations of fluorite is wonderful, and this material has not been found for many years now at Xianghualing. No damage and a very 3-dimensional form make this a fine Chinese fluorite. Annette Slade photo.