Philip Mostmans' Photo Gallery
XH9-TUWFluorite CaF2
An elongated gemmy fluorite crystal up to 3cm with a feint purple teint, shows distinct dark purple zoning patters.
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (Mineralbox)
3C5-5XCFluorite CaF2 , Quartz SiO2
A coarse quartz matrix specimen mixed is covered by a brownish layer of what I presume is cryptocrystalline quartz. On top of this quartz are at least four waterclear fluorite crystals up to 1,2cm. The largest cube has a curious L-shaped form with slightly modified cube corners, inside the crystal is a clearly visible earlier fluorite cube, which was covered by the brown quartz dusting and in turn again overgrown with fluorite.
The second cube has a strang elongated form with lines on the lonest side of the cube, which look like growth stages: Every time the crystall passes one of these lines it gets smaller. The third fluorite crystal is completely seperate from the other two and forms a perfect cube with 5mm on the cube edge. There is one smaller crystall surrounded by tiny quartz points which again displays a more elongated form.
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (mineralbox).
WKY-FJAFluorite CaF2 , Quartz SiO2 , Galena PbS
A relatively large cleavage corner of a purple cube with green phantom inside is covered by a quartz layer of about 1,5cm thick. On this quartz layer is a mass of fluorite cubes up to 1,5cm. The specimen is dominated by a gemmy 1cm complex twin with purple zonation near the crystal surface. This twin is directly accompanied by smaller mostly untwinned gemmy fluorite cubes up to 8mm, sligtly paler in colour but with a shiny surface.
Directly under these cubes are a second group of crystals, which are in turn predominatly twinned and darker in colour. Many of the crystals in this group have a more silky lustre as if the surface of the crystals was etched. Some crystals of this group have what appears to be a slight modification at the leading cubes edges.
Many crystals on the "left side" of the specimen have brownish/yellow stains directly below the cubes surface, which give the crystals a more opaque lustre.
Under cover of the fluorite cubes are some edged modified galena cubes.
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (Mineralbox)
UY1-QAKFluorite CaF2 , Sphalerite ZnS , Baryte BaSO4
Solid reddish sphalerite matrix is covered with purple fluorite cubes up to 1,6cm. The fluorite crystals are translucent in the center, with gemmy cube corners. Black inclusions of sphalerite crystals in the fluorites give a spotted look. Some of the fluorites are partially dissovled, leaving only a striped pin leading from the core of the crystal to the edges.
The black/reddish spalerite crystals on the front with the purple fluorite crystals provide a nice contrast with the creamy white baryte rosettes up to 3cm in the center and lower left corner of the specimen.
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (mineralbox)
Philip Mostmans specimen & photo 2009
W9A-5JPFluorite CaF2 , Quartz SiO2
Specimen of yellow interlocking fluorite cubes up to 4,4cm are associated with small quartz crystals up to 1cm, which in turn are sparsely covered by an iron oxyde (limonite?).
The cores of the fluorite crystals are clouded, while the corners and edges appear gemmy and translucent. The crystal faces seem to be partially dissolved by approximately 5mm, leaving a "sunken" surface within the crystal. In turn these sunken crystal faces show a disinct pattern of "heights and lows", which can be compared to a modern cities skyline.
One or two corners of one of the smaller cubes seem to be cleaved, however this is hard to say with the level of "edging" going on. The rest of the specimen appears to be damage free.
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (mineralbox)
Philip Mostmans specimen & photo 2009
FK6-UYUFluorite CaF2 , Calcite CaCO3
Small specimen of very gemmy fluorite crystals up to 2,4cm with faint purple zoning. The purple colour in the crystal core does not appear to be equally distributed in the whole crystal, rather than in striated clouds or random patches.
The inside of the crystals appears clouded due to internal fractures going from the crystal root almost up to the crystal surface. This might be caused by the extraction process of the specimen, but might as well be a natural phenomenon. One corner of the larger crystal displays a small crystal modification at one of its corners.
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (mineralbox)
0V3-JDYFluorite CaF2 , Quartz SiO2 , Calcite CaCO3
Purple fluorite cubes up to 1 cm cover a matrix of creamy white/pale yellow calcite with minor quartz. Two distinct types of fluorite are clearly visible.
One type consist of larger cubes covering the matrix. These crystals have a laminated structure and the ribs seem to "bend" inward from the cube corners. The purple colour is the most vivid at the cube edges, while the crystal center is paler purple to colourless. The is a bit of corner damage to some of these crystals. In other cases the calcite seems to be partially dissolved leaving the "roots" of the fluorite crystal in question exposed.
The second type of fluorite consists of smaller crystals up to 2-3mm in a delicate pink/purple. These crystals seem to be modified at the cube corners.
Odd specimen. Can't confirm the locality of the specimen being correct, since I haven't seen any similar material from Siglo XX. Lacking a better alternative, the locality is believed to be valid.
Aquired from Jens Peter Fanelsa (Mineralbox)
Philip Mostmans collection & photo 2009
W7A-3T1Fluorite CaF2 , Quartz SiO2
Dimensions: 9 cm x 7 cm x 6 cm
Dark grey folded limestone matrix is partially covered by micro crystalline quartz. On the quartz are several pale green gemmy fluorite twins up to 1cm. There is one small group of crystals which appears to be a triplet, forming a V-shape with the larger center crystal.
Size: approx. 9x7x6cm
Philip Mostmans specimen & photo 2009
Purchased from Jens Peter Fanelsa (Mineralbox)
H5R-D11Fluorite CaF2 , Siderite FeCO3 , Calcite CaCO3 , Quartz SiO2
Large fluorite twin with the biggest crystal up to 6,5cm long at the edge is twinned by a smaller crystal of 4,8cm at the edge. The edges of the larger twin appears to be longer on one side of the smaller twin. The crystal itself is clouded with a lot of internal cleavages and fractures and appears to have a pale purple colour. Two sides of this crystal are covered by organge/brownish siderite crystals, which in turn are partially covered by nailhead calcite crystals up to 7mm.
The smaller crystal of the twin is very clear internally with only minor internal cleavages compared to the other crystal. The surface of the crystals is covered with small pitts and sharp extensions as a result of disappeared or present quartz crystals. There is a feint internal zoning present, where the outer 0,5-1cm is composed of clear, colourless fluorite, while the internal crystal has a deep purple colour. There is some damage to two corners of the cube, where some of the crystal has fractured away.
At the edge of the specimen are remnants of pale purple/pinkish fluorite crystals, where the twin was extracted from the host rock.
Obtained from Jens-Peter Fanelsa (Mineralbox)
Philip Mostmans specimen & photo 2009
6MY-228Fluorite CaF2 , Ankerite Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 , Calcite CaCO3 , Quartz SiO2
Dimensions: 17 cm x 9 cm x 10 cm
A large vug in heavily altered black/brownish limestone is covered by yellow fluorite cubes up to 8mm. Allthough most of the fluorite is untwinned, the occasional penetratrion twinned crystal pops trough the rest of the mass. The edges of the fluorites are typically very gemmy and translucent, while, depending on the dimensions of the cube, the cores are clouded. The fluorite in the "deeper" parts of the specimen seems to be covered by a thin film of an unidentified mineral, not unlike the coating of the crystals at Cambokeels mine.
The specimen itself displays a curious a curious case of "Stratigraphy". While the associated minerals are Ankerite, Calcite and Quartz these minerals all exhibit a different "relation" to the fluorite xls. The quartz crystals seem to be directly linked to the fluorite cubes and not with the ankerite and calcite. At first sight the quartz are often doubly terminated and very clear.
Where the fluorite is covered by lustrous brown/orange ankerite crystals the quartz dusting fades or is completely covered by the ankerite(?). In turn most of the calcite crystals are pale white in colour and display a dull lustre, ofen doubly terminated and reach up to 5mm. All these calcite xls seem to have no direct contact with the fluorite cubes or the quartz layer and seem to be only directly associated with the ankerite crystals on which they have grown.
This described "phenomenon" is clearly shown in a limestone "knob" at the lower end of the specimen. This area of the specimen almost displays a concentric mineralisation where the knob was first covered by yellow fluorite, later by the quartz, the ankerite and finally the calcite.
Old specimen from the late 19th century. Label states Hilton mine as the locality but the association basically rules that out. "Jug vein" at Brownley Hill Mine is a more likely candidate. Ex. Mary J. Perry collection.
Specimen size approx 17cmx9cmx10cm
Philip Mostmans collection and photo 2009
