Detailed information
Species
Fluorite
Dimensions
44 x 136 x 80
mm
Weight
331 g
Locality
Okorusu Mine Otjiwarongo District Namibia
Condition
No recorded repairs
The diversity in Fluorite colours and forms from the famous Okorusu mine in Otjiwarongo District, Namibia is quite staggering and we are lucky that the management of this mine were pragmatic enough back in the day to allow rescue collecting of much of the best material rather than sending it through the crusher as industrial-grade fluorspar. This thin, slightly concave cabinet-sized display plate exhibits the rarer rich purple colour which is so highly prized from Okorusu, especially when it shows striking internal colour zonation with darker cross-shaped central zones. This superb specimen shows some great zonation, but not at the absolute top level, but often the zoning is enhanced through carefully preparation (or removal) of layers from the rear of the specimen to allow better penetration of light. The real quality of this specimen lies in its crystals which are some of the most complex I have seen from there, or indeed anywhere. Technically speaking cubo-octahedral, the larger crystals can been seen to be made up of many individual cubes stacked one upon each other, creating a mesmerizing surface structure somewhat like the sides of an ancient temple or pyramid. This display surface is remarkable not only in its complexity, but its damage-free condition too. Add to this it's colour and it really is something spectacular. Ex Kessler Collection, this beauty almost certainly dates to the 1990s.