FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Tobi]

Jordi, currently i'm also quite overwhelmed with completing my degree, so if everybody else wants to be the organizer of this thread - feel free to take this part ;-)

@Pete: I'm glad that there is someone else who appreciates the fluorites from Blanchard Mine, i just wonder why there are not much more. To me the blue fluorites on matrix from the Blanchard Mine are among the most beautiful in the world, together with the ones from Le Burg/France, which look quite simiilar.

[Jordi Fabre]

OK Tobias.

Someone can help and take charge of this thread?

Jordi

[Pete Modreski]

Jordi, I don't know that we really need to organize this or necessarily to "vote" on which are the 5 or 10 best localities--it has just been interesting to share comments and perspectives, and some new photos, on what the favorite localities are.

Cheers, Pete

[Jordi Fabre]

Correct Pete, but following the initial idea of Tobias I believe that we can do both things and organize something more extended.
I had a talk with someone who generously will take on charge it, to see what happens.

Of course, everybody wishing add comments, perspectives, and/or some new photo to this thread, he/she will be more than welcome...

[Peter]

In Scandinavia we have a couple of fantastic fluorite localities as well, but most collectors never saw the best, as they are to be found in only a handful collections in the world.

Sweden: The Malmberget Mine, Gällivare, Lappland, Sweden produced perhaps the finest real emerald colored gem fluorite octahedrons. Crystals in general 1-3 cm in association with quartz crystals, stilbite xls , chalcopyrite xls, calcite xls, hematite xls and on. These came from upper part of the mine, now mostly collapsed. The best pocket was discovered in 1982. Another pocket delivered light ice blue octahedrons on quartz w brilliant chalcopyrite crystals.
I have a couple of the very best in my collection. Very few collectors know of these and unfortunately there are very few specimens.

Norway: Kongsberg silver Mines, Buskerud Fylke. No mineral colelctor could be unaware of the magnificent wire silvers and crystals from here besides many other species. A few pockets of superb fluorites have also been encountered during mining. Shapes are from razor sharp octahedrons with edhe length to 10 cm to more complex forms and one rare interpenetration twin on calcite. Colors range from colorless to green to blueish and deep purple. Most good crystals are in European museums.

Booth these localities would classify among the top ten if judging quality (not quantity).

Of similar importance when it comes to octahedral fluorite are:

Chumar Bakhoor, Sumayar, Gilgit district, Northern Areas, Pakistan (as you all know also superb pink cubes! and spinell law twins as well as conbination xls occur) Largest pink flawless gem crystal was never shown ! and is "unknown".

Massif du Mont Blanc, France: Worlds finest RED fluorites to 15 cm besides marvelous pink octahedrons.

Zingenstock-Gerstenegg-Sommerloch in the AAr massif of Switzerland. Pink and green octahedrons on clear and smoky quartz.

Göshenerthal- several clefts with superb pink octahedrons to large size (Planggenstock etc)

Cubes, interpenetration twins: England: in the northern Pennines also the Heights Mine (quarry) and the Blue Circle Cement Quarry.

[Jordi Fabre]

[Tobi]

I remember this specimen - wasn't it the one which Dave Wilbur would have thrown into the garbage can? ;-)

And concerning the purpose of this thread: I think we should do both discuss our favourite fluorite localities and try to make some kind of top ten ranking. Pete, you mentioned Riemvasmaak in South Africa. I agree - absolutely beautiful.

[Gerhard Niklasch]

[Tobi]

Here's a reason why i love fluorites from Dal'negorsk:

(From a German private collection, i took this photo at the fluorite special exhibition in the Marburg mineral museum, each crystal is about 3 cm.)

[Carles Millan]

[Carles Millan]

[Antonio Alcaide]

Hi all,

Jordi has suggested me moderating and organizing a bit this interesting thread. I have accepted. I'm sure it will be very interesting because in my opinion fluorites have its own world inside mineral world. Who hasn't been attracted by them?

I am only an amateur so I will need lots of help, especially from Tobias, who posted about it first. Following Jordi's wise advice I'm going to sum up all the localities you have already posted (this will be done tonight I hope). After that we will open a period of time for adding comments - the more posts the better- and of course other localities and photos.

Afterwards we can vote our favorites localities scoring from 1 to 5 (better via pm). But don't worry at the moment. We will have time to explain it widely.

Thank all and welcome to the opening -already opened- fluorite spot on FMF.

[Joan Kureczka]

How can one possibly vote on the "best" locations, when there is such variety both in specimens and in geographic locations. What is "best"? Each of us will come with our own biases and favorites. It seems meaningless to me.

[Montanpark]

Joan,
you may be right ... but everyone who loves fluos has his/her own favourite specimens and so also the according locales ...

Based on my personal collection my TOP 5 is:

1 Rogerley mine
2 Mahodari, Nasik, India
3 Erongo Mts, Namibia
4 Yaogangxian Mine, China
5 Okoruso Mine, namibia

I could go on with this list for hours but i decided these to be my favourite specimens with according locs....

cheers
Roger

P.S. ok ... from 6 to 10 also ;-)

6 10000 Ritter Mine, Saxony
7 Xianghuaupu Mine, China
8 Berbes, Asturias
9 Elmwood, TN and Illinois Fluorspar district (ok, thats 2 and more)
10 Blanchard Mine, AZ

[Matt_Zukowski]

My favorite locality is whatever one produced the piece the Spann's had in the lower right of their 2009 WL Tucson case. It was a Cave-in-Rock locality.