A single pink fluorite octahedron on a matrix of weathered hedebergite and quartz.
This is among my favorites from the group, a few of which are posted here.
This is perhaps one of the most beautiful and exciting things to come from Huanggang yet. This combination of habit and color is perhaps the most sought after of the species, and has previously only come from the Alps and intermittently from Pakistan. They are certainly unique for China, a country known mainly for large plates and masses of the mineral, almost always in blues, greens or purples.
I have stabilized the matrix. These fluorites seem to form in a very harsh environment and the matrixes tend to be composed of either heavily weathered hedenbergite or ilvaite, leaving them very friable and making stabilization necessary.
A few dealers at the Munich show had specimens on display and, “the average price was about 7,000 euro for an average specimen,”according to John Veevaert’s show report That’s about $10,000...I strongly doubt those Chinese dealers paid more than I did, but I think my prices are more reasonable.
Please note that (like the pieces in Munich) these have been oiled.