Fluorite, Jordanite and Pyrite

Milpo mine, Atacocha mining district, Cerro de Pasco, Pasco Province, Pasco, Peru

A fine thumbnail of fluorite from the Milpo mine: a single elegant octahedron, 7 mm on edge, in an excellent, saturated green. It crowns a compact, well-balanced group 2 cm across, above gray metallic jordanite and bright, stepped pyrite that set off its color. On the front, a smooth face opens a small window into the crystal and shows how clear the fluorite is inside. Milpo, in the Atacocha district near Cerro de Pasco, Peru, has produced fluorite of this quality only in recent years, and fine examples are sought after. A small specimen with everything a good thumbnail needs: color, clarity, and a well-composed group.