Rhodochrosite, Calcite, Scheelite, Spessartine, Pyrrhotite, Millerite, and more all together in one post!

In order of appearance from the top down:

Rhombs of Rhodochrosite atop Tetrahedrite and Quartz matrix! From the Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Park County, Colorado.
Measures 3.1 cm by 3 cm by 3.5 cm in total size.

Twinned Golden Calcite with Sphalerite on matrix! From the Denton Mine, Harris Creek District, Hardin County, Illinois.
Measures 7 cm by 7.2 cm by 5.2 cm in total size.

Scheelite crystal with glassy Adularia! From Mt Xuebaoding, Pingwu Co., Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province of China. Measures 7.3 cm by 5.5 cm by 4.4 cm in total size.

Spessartine Garnet with dark botryoidal Goethite! From Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China.
Measures 12.5 cm by 10.2 cm in size.

Large pyramidal Pyrrhotites on Quartz crystals! From the Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia.
Measures 7 cm by 12.6 cm by 10 cm in total size.

Cavern of botryoidal Chalcedony and fine Millerite crystals! From Halls Gap, Lincoln County, Kentucky.
Measures 7.2 cm by 11 cm by 6.8 cm in size.

Lustrous crystals of Pyrargyrite nestled between brown Calcite crystals and casts!From Level 630 of the San Guillermo Vein, San Luis Shaft, Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Measures 3 cm by 4.5 cm in size.

Combination of Barite and Gypsum crystals on Yellow Calcite! From the Elk Creek locality, Dalzell, Meade County, South Dakota.
Measures 7.5 cm by 15.3 cm by 12.5 cm in size.

Simply Amazing!

If you want to buy beautiful minerals, bring lots of money!

A good challenge: Walk the aisles of the Tucson Gem and Mineral show, and mentally buy the ones you like! I confess, I spent millions in less than 100 yards wow! Here, in order of appearance: rhodochrosite, emerald, again rhodochrosite, native silver, kunzite, fluorite/barite acanthite, native copper and ruby red beryl. Impressive specimens that adorn the museums and private collections, like that of Rep. Romero de Tehuacan Puebla, a beautiful museum with amazing specimens such as legrandita, adamite, pyrites from Naica, etc. I used to take my students to this museum on an unforgettable journey of two days, after visiting the museum, Dr. Romero used to take us to a tour around his state of the art chicken farm. I lost track of my students, and obviously of the Mineral Museum of Tehuacan, unique in Mexico at least in the 80's, of course, the Deputy Romero died a few years ago.

In a recent visit I did to a gem & mineral show in Houston, I saw specimens worth almost $100,000 USD, I could not believe it. That inspired my title of this post. May 2011

Fluorite lego? No, actual crystals directly from Mother Nature

From various locations, in its amazing variety of colors and habits, Fluorite is a fantastic mineral. Let me start from a location I visited for several months, such as Naica, Chihuahua in Northern Mexico whose location is off the "Panamerican Freeway" between Camargo and Delicias. From this mine, fluorite and other beautiful crystals have been collected, and it became world famous for its recently discovered giant gypsum crystals cave. Naica produced unique crystals of fluorite that vary from a very pale pink to almost transparent specimens with pyrite crystals inside, some of these in my private collection. I worked in this mine while I was still in College back in the late 70's, and to tell you the truth, I really enjoyed it, as I was assistant of the most prominent Mineralogist in Mexico Dr Raul Ortiz Asiain, and my passion for minerals was already there.

Also, pictures of fluorite from Pointe Kurz (3600 m altitude), Mont Blanc Massif, Haute-Savoie, France, and finally from Caldera 3, Mina Moscona, Solís, Corvera, Asturias Spain

Fluorite:

Chemical Formula: CaF2
Composition: Molecular Weight = 78.07 gm
Calcium 51.33 % Ca 71.83 % CaO
Fluorine 48.67 % F 48.67 % F
Environment: Low temperature vein deposits
Crystal System: Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol
Cleavage: {111} Perfect, {111} Perfect, {111} Perfect
Color: White, Yellow, Green, Red, Blue.
Density: 3.01 - 3.25, Average = 3.13
Diaphaneity: Transparent to subtranslucent
Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Habit: Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.
Habit: Disseminated - Occurs in small, distinct particles dispersed in matrix.
Habit: Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Hardness: 4 - Fluorite
Luminescence: Fluorescent, Short UV=blue, Long UV=blue.
Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak: White