Auction Win: Fluorite on Quartz (glassy)

Locality: Fujian, China

Size: Miniature - 5.8 × 2.6 × 2.9 cm

This is an exceptionally glassy and sharply terminated minty-green Fluorite on a micro-Quartz matrix. This piece sits pleasingly naturally. Not often seen in this quality, this piece does have a cleaved corner on one of the top crystals.

Fluorite is calcium fluoride, CaF2, a halide mineral valued for its bright colors and clarity. It was first described in 1530 by Georgius Agricola, and its name comes from the Latin fluere, meaning “to flow.” It is the chief source of fluoride used in toothpaste and other products.

Fujian is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China, and it is especially relevant to collectors for its diverse mineral localities, including the Zijinshan ore field in Longyan and pegmatite districts in Nanping. The province has produced important specimens from gold-copper, pegmatite, and granite-related occurrences, alongside well-known stone material such as Shoushan stone from the Fuzhou area. Its mineral districts remain significant today because Fujian continues to host active and historically important sites that have yielded collectible mineral specimens and ornamental material.