This very fine and showy specimen of Fluorite with partial Quartz overgrowth is one for the connoisseurs of Weardale Fluorite. It is a quite distinctive specimen and comes from one of Weardale's last working Fluorspar (the industrial product of Fluorite rather than mineral specimens) producers at the Groverake mine in Rookhope valley. Connected with Frazer's Hush mine, Groverake mine operated through until the 1990s but unlike Frazer's Hush, mineral specimens from Groverake are few and far between. This lovely larger display specimen features intergrown crystals of Fluorite measuring to 4.5 cm on edge. The crystals of Fluorite are lustrous with a zoned purple colour but it is the rich, and distinctive scattering of colourless gemmy to translucent white crystals of Quartz across the surface of the Fluorite crystals which provides the aesthetic edge. A large number of the Quartz crystals are doubly-terminated with the largest measuring to 0.7 cm in length. This outstanding specimen comes from the collection of Peter Blezard.
