FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Richard Arseneau]

Hello, I bought this piece off eBay before I was concerned with exactly where my specimens came from. The seller is no longer active, so there is no help on that front. All I know about the origin is that it is from China.

I know this is probably a long shot, a very large country, and a very common mineral. The matrix that the larger crystals are sitting on appears thin and plate-like, with a touch of iridescence. At the very center are very fine crystals, perhaps quartz.

Thanks for any help you can give,

Richard

[bob kerr]

the crystal form and color would lead one to think it is from Shangbao. Do a search on fluorite shangbao on the internet and mindat and view the photos.

bob

[Richard Arseneau]

Thank you, I will do that. That was fast, the knowledge of the people on this forum never ceases to amaze me!

[Tobi]

[bob kerr]

I agree with Tobi - the Fujian locality is a better fit.

bob

[Richard Arseneau]

Thank you both, yes I searched the first location suggested and found a few specimens with the same crystal structure and colour, although colour is difficult to determine from a photo.

Searching for Yongchun I found many examples that were a very good match. Especially the matrix, which often seems to be a combination of the thin plates and very fine crystalline material.

So, my next question, just because this mineral appears to be a match to this region, can I list Yongchun as the locality with certainty, or is it just likely.

I ask because I have noticed, rightly so, that the moderators on this site are very particular about the locality of a specimen when posting in the collections thread.

Richard

[Richard Arseneau]

Besides the size of the crystals, this is a very close match.