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Fluorite
馃搷Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette, Saint-脡tienne, Loire, Auvergne-Rh么ne-Alpes, France
Dimensions: 22 / 17 / 15 mm
This charming specimen features numerous small but exceptionally gemmy fluorite cubes scattered across a matrix. Each crystal displays a distinct purple phantom core encased in lighter purple outer zones, with excellent color zoning clearly visible under good lighting. The cube faces show delicate etch marks, giving them a subtly textured appearance that contrasts with their inherent transparency. Despite their small size, the crystals are bright, well-defined, and full of character, making the piece particularly attractive. Such etched, phantom-zoned fluorite from Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette, Saint-脡tienne, Loire, Auvergne-Rh么ne-Alpes, France is rarely encountered on the market. The locality, once a significant lead and silver mining area during the 18th and 19th centuries, is known for its quartz veins along the southern slopes of the Pilat Mountains, including those near Eteize. While fluorite is among the known minerals from this district, specimens showing such gemmy clarity and vivid internal zoning are uncommon, lending this piece both aesthetic and mineralogical significance.
