FLUORITE, QUARTZDiana Maria MineRogerley Quarry, StanhopeCounty Durham, England4.1 x 3.9 x 3.1 Inches 10.5 x 10 x 8 CentimetersCabinetWe have taken to calling this one "The Pinecone" for its resemblance to a young pinecone on a tree branch - The lustrous green fluorite crystals cover the entire specimen 360° with a cap of quartz crystals to top it off. While technically not a stalagmite, the crystals appear to have grown around/on a core of matrix. Interpenetrating twinned fluorite crystals are all across the specimen and in several place there are twin clusters merging into other twin clusters! When you look closely there is lovely zoning and inclusions similar to the "Milky Way" pocket specimens from the same area. This is a truly unique specimen, I hope the pictures and video do it justice. Rogerley fluorite is one of our favorite minerals for its natural ability to color shift in sunlight(blue), artificial(green) and UV(purple) light. The source responsible for the amazing colors is a bit of a mystery but it is believed to be a result of structural defects and not influenced by outside sources.
