Fluorite

Aksu Co., Akesu Prefecture, Xinjiang, China

A bold purple fluorite cube of 1.2 cm on edge, set on a base of white dolomite crystals. The cube is fully transparent, more so than the photo can show. Its violet color sits in the outer zone of the crystal and deepens almost to black along the edges, while the interior is nearly colorless, so the cube seems to glow from within when light passes through it. On the left it breaks into stepped terraces of smaller cubes in parallel growth, the staircase growth so typical of fluorite from Aksu, where the color softens to lavender. Beneath the fluorite, a cluster of creamy white dolomite rhombs forms a bright, clean foundation and a striking contrast to the deep purple. Fluorite from Aksu in Xinjiang has reached the market only in recent years, and its stepped cubes are already recognizable at a glance. Standing upright on its matrix, this small specimen has real presence.