| Mintreasure.com Mineral Auctions

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Watches:

BMM1171608

Description Tabs

Description

Locality:

Knappenloch, Weißeck, Murwinkel, Tamsweg District, Salzburg, Austria

Class:

Crystal Group/Cluster

Size Range:

Cabinet (10-18 cm)

Size:

11.3 × 7.3 × 4.5 cm

Description

Despite its intense colors, this fluorite is exceptionally transparent – almost glass-like. The crystals show a beautiful violet to light lilac color on the outside and an intense blue internally. Under LED backlighting, the blue shifts to a pleasant cyan. The interplay between the light violet exterior and the cyan-blue interior makes this fluorite particularly fascinating. This color change becomes visible as soon as the specimen is moved.

The largest fluorite cube measures exactly 5.4 cm on edge – already close to the upper size range for this find. The crystal surfaces display a fine cubic texture with silky luster, formed by natural water etching. The side faces display surface textures formed by water etching. The first and third photos were taken with medium LED backlighting. This find was published in Mineralogical Record – Mineral Magazine, Vol. 54, No. 6.2. A detailed report about this find, including videos, can be found on my website.

Mineral Data

What's on the rock

Fluorite

Formula:

CaF₂

Strunz:

3.AB.25

Crystal System:

Isometric

Hardness:

4.0

Streak:

White

Type Locality:

Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Jáchymov District (St Joachimsthal), Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic