HEF23-02
Stibnite and Fluorite (fluorescent)
Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Lengshuijiang Co., Loudi, Hunan, China
Cabinet, 10.4 x 8.5 x 3.1 cm
Ex. Kurt Hefendehl
$1,750.00 Payment Plan Available
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Equal parts Stibnite and Fluorite, this excellent combination piece is from the storied early antimony (and fluorite, amidst other metallics as well) deposit that shocked people with production in the 1990s out of China. The substantial Stibnites are an immediate focal point, with the largest being 10.4 cm and the terminated crystal in front being 9.2 cm. Their good luster, striations, and hint of iridescence make them a bit different in form and texture from the modern material still coming out of China from several provinces. Adding greatly to the interest of this cabinet piece is the distinctive bend in the middle of largest crystal, which is an excellent example of one of Stibnite's most sought-after, and unusual, characteristics. The cubic Fluorites are gemmy, sharp, lustrous, range up to 1 cm, and their fluorescence is an intense purple. They completely cover the plate and, along with some drusy Calcite, decorate one of the Stibnites. Look closely, and you can see that many of the Fluorites have a sharp, ghostly-white cubic phantom in their cores which, like the bend in the Stibnite, add even more to the already choice aesthetics. It is a highly unusual piece in that the stibnites formed later, after the fluorite had formed and fallen to the pocket in shards of matrix; followed by a later deposition of fluorite on the stibnite itself.