Fluorite

A thin, porous yellow limestone/Quartz/Fluorite matrix is covered by green Fluorite cubes up to 1cm. Most of the Fluorite crystals are untwinned, although some of the larger crystals appear to be an exception. Across the front side is a upstanding rib of limestone, separating the larger crystals from the smaller ones. Many of the Fluorite crystals appear to be zoned in various colours from yellow over light green to a darker green. Some of the larger crystals appear to have a zonation which looks to be directly caused by a thin layer of limestone right beneath the crystal surface. On the backside of the specimen is a saw cut, where the specimen was extracted. There is some edge damage to the Fluorite cubes, but overall the specimen is fairly damage free. Bought from a French dealer who acquired the specimen from Ralph Sutcliffe at Oxford show 2010. After E-mail contact Ralph Sutcliffe: "I had a collection of Northern England specimens. The collector was Ben Creighton and it must have had his label with it, with that locality. I do not remember coming across this colour from there when the mine was producing specimens. The Fluorites I had were nearly always huge Quartz covered purple cubes. I did come across some green ones from the Groverake Mine - but had a different style to yours."