Mixed Recent Yindu Fluorite

An fluorite crystal on matrix, I thought this one was special for a few reasons-- to begin with it is somewhat elongated, which is rather unusual.  While Yindu does tend to produce more elongated cubes than most other mines, I've really only seen this is some purples. which segways into the next point-- the color. This one has blue-green phantoms, though the overall color is a very beautiful greenish-blue aquamarine that the camera is unable to capture correctly.  To top it all off, it sites nicely on matrix. I have more pieces from this pocket later in the update, but all but one are off matrix, and it is certainly more substantial on this one. There is also a bit of pyrite that adds a nice bit of brassy sparkle, it contrasts nicely with the blue-green of the fluorite. There is a cleave on the back/side.

Another specimen from the same pocket featured in my previous update, I bought this one a little later so it missed the main update.  This one has 6 crystals, scattered about and isolated in a way that I thought was quite pretty. As with others from this find, there is a deep purple core surrounded by a very transparent outer layer.  A couple of them have white calcite rhombs semi-embedded as well.

A group of brilliantly colored green fluorite crystals on matrix. I've said this about the Yindu greens before, but I will repeat my silly description because there is really no better way to express it:: these look like someone took a real-life photoshop and slid the saturation bar very far to the right. The crystals al have small, deep purple cores, and sit on a nicely contrasting yellowish muscovite matrix. The only annoying part about this piece is that there is a little edge wear on one edge of the main crystal.... but again, the color is special. I'm not used to seeing such a combination of deep saturation and brightness from China, usually it's considerably more washed out, or else the crystal has to be huge for the cumulative effect of light passing though to be something more saturated-- but then they will usually lacks brightness because so much light ends upsetting absorbed in the process.

Another specimen from the same pocket featured in my previous update, I bought this one a little later so it missed the main update.  This one has numerous crystals (to 1.5)  scattered about and isolated in a way that I thought was quite pretty. As with others from this find, there is a deep purple core surrounded by a very transparent outer layer.  

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding very light blue and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here: 

A beautiful fluorite specimen that exemplifies why I like Yindu so much-- this one is a light green cube with a purple cubooctahedron frozen within. While at most localities, the internal features can be called "phantoms," some of these from Yindu are so sharp and solid that I think describing them as encased crystals is more accurate. 

A beautiful spinel twinned fluorite from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A very beautiful fluorite crystal from Yindu--it is slightly small, but I do think this is one of the special ones. The main crystal is sharp and damage free, though what makes it special is the color and transparency. If you've ever seen those pictures of tropical beaches with that aquamarine colored water, that is about as close as I can get to describing the color, because the camera doesn't capture it well. It looks like someone cut a cube out of that water and managed to preserve the color-- though it gets deeper toward the core, to the point where you can almost not see anything-- but it still retains enough transparency that you can see the balls of muscovite below. This description is admittedly somewhat abstract, but I think it's necessary given how poorly the camera captures the color. There's a bit of pyrite clinging to the surfaces as well, giving a nice bit of sparkle and contrast. 

A beautiful example of blue-green fluorite from the Yindu Mine. Of the various colors I've seen so far, this has probably been among the scarcer ones, in fact I've only seen this pocket. It's a beautiful blue-green that resembles a saturated aquamarine, though with a slightly greener hue.

A beautiful example of blue-green fluorite from the Yindu Mine. Of the various colors I've seen so far, this has probably been among the scarcer ones, in fact I've only seen this pocket. It's a beautiful blue-green that resembles a saturated aquamarine, though with a slightly greener hue.

A beautiful example of blue-green fluorite from the Yindu Mine. Of the various colors I've seen so far, this has probably been among the scarcer ones, in fact I've only seen this pocket. It's a beautiful blue-green that resembles a saturated aquamarine, though with a slightly greener hue.

A nice sample of blue-green fluorite from the Yindu Mine. Of the various colors I've seen so far, this has probably been among the scarcer ones, in fact I've only seen this pocket. It's a beautiful blue-green that resembles a saturated aquamarine, though with a slightly greener hue.

A beautiful example of blue-green fluorite from the Yindu Mine. Of the various colors I've seen so far, this has probably been among the scarcer ones, in fact I've only seen this pocket. It's a beautiful blue-green that resembles a saturated aquamarine, though with a slightly greener hue.

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding very light blue and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here:

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding very light blue and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here:

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding very light blue and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here:

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding very light blue and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here:

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding very light blue and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance.

A very pretty specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding nearly colorless and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique  appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here:

A pretty thumbnail  specimen from a rather unique pocket uncovered about a month ago.  These all have very transparent crystals set on whitish gray matrixes, and almost all the crystals have small, very dark blue cores that bleed a little into the surrounding nearly colorless and transparent fluorite. The combination of tiny dark cores and transparent crystals makes for a very unique (and I think quite beautiful) appearance, but it also makes them a nightmare to photograph-- transparency mixed with uneven surfaces makes focusing cameras difficult, and fluorite's tendency to not have colors show up well in photographs does not help!  So I am including a video of this piece, to help convey what it looks like.  A video can be seen here:

A very beautiful example of fluorite on quartz, from Yindu.  The fluorites do have some internal fractures, but it is almost unavoidable with Yindu specimens when they have quartz inclusions. I haven't seen any others combined with this style of quartz-- in some ways the quartz crystals almost resemble the common habit from Huanggang. Taken as a whole, quite pretty and unique though I admit the closeup photos don't do much for it. 

A nice example of fluorite from a recent pocket at the Yindu Mine.  While most pieces from this find were kind of dark and needed backlighting, this one has a very light green and very transparent cubic crystal with an enclosed purple octahedron, sitting on the top of a larger partial crystal. These pictures were taken in a light box with strong lighting, this does accentuate the enclosed crystal, but the piece doesn't really need that much help from lights for this feature to be seen. 

A pretty example of bluish-green fluorite from the Yindu Mine, this one is a little unusual in that the fluorite crystals are perched on a group of quartz crystals.  This might be an odd way to describe it, but there is something rather Pasto-Bueno-ish about the combination of the fluorite's color, the quartz, and the way in which they are positioned relative to each other. If you were to show me this randomly, that would be my guess for the locality.... and I would be wrong.  

A very pretty thumbnail sized specimen of fluorite from Yindu. This one is a light aqua blue, with bits of green on the edges and concentric phantoms that are the color smudged ink from a BIC pen (weird wording,  but accurate... you left handed people know exactly what I mean)

An elongated cluster of purple fluorite crystals from the Yindu Mine. 

A spinel twinned fluorite from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A cluster of spinel twinned fluorites from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A spinel twinned fluorite from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A spinel twinned fluorite from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A spinel twinned fluorite from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A spinel twinned fluorite from Yindu. I think the locality that produces the most spinel twinned fluorites is probably Erongo, though they do find them at Yindu from time to time as well. I have seen one new pocket since I arrived here, the last batch was a couple years ago. These show interesting zoning too.  All in all, this is yet another example of why I keep emphasizing the crazy diversity of fluorite that this mine is capable of producing.

A group of bluish-green fluorites on matrix, from the same pocket as 2CYND21.  Pieces from this pocket have more internal haziness, though the crystals are not broken, and you can make out the purple cores.

Another specimen, once again showcasing the variation of fluorite from Yindu-- while the overwhelming majority are cubes, these are dodecahedrons.  I saw a single lot of these dodecahedral crystals on matrixes of quartz and sulfide material-- I did not really like the batch as a whole so I picked my favorite two, after all it is kind of fun to be able to show these varied habits and I thought these were odd enough (for Yindu) to be worth picking up. 

Another specimen, once again showcasing the variation of fluorite from Yindu-- while the overwhelming majority are cubes, these are dodecahedrons.  I saw a single lot of these dodecahedral crystals on matrixes of quartz and sulfide material-- I did not really like the batch as a whole so I picked my favorite two, after all it is kind of fun to be able to show these varied habits and I thought these were odd enough (for Yindu) to be worth picking up. 

A group of light blue fluorite crystals with rectangular purple phantoms.  The back is not contacted, but etched.  The resulting flatness of the crystal helps light pass through, and helps the phantoms look more like square outlines rather than a dark purple core... I thought it was neat.  

A cute thumbnail showing the beautifully odd internal features that make Yindu fluorites stand out--this one is a pair of cubes enclosing an inky purple cubo-octahedron. The outer light green fluorite is very transparent, so you can easily see the enclosed crystal/ phantom. There are two little calcite "ears" on top-- you can see them in the picture where my finger is behind the crystal-- the white calcites needed a bit more contrast. 

A very transparent, light green fluorite with purple phantoms, nestled in a bed of quartz crystals. 

A group of very light green fluorite cubes, with slightly fuzzy purple cubo-octahedorns at their cores, scattered on a thumbnail-sized matrix. 

A nice thumbnail fluorite from Yindu, this one featuring a light blue cubic crystal with inky blue phantoms.  I noticed something interesting about this one when I shined a bright light on it-- you can actually make out the transparent faces of a very sharp cube inside-- it is enclosing the hazy blue phantoms, which at first glance are the main internal features.... but it really looks like there was a complete, sharp crystal that formed, that then got enclosed in another larger crystal. Interesting, but again, you need a bright light to see all that. Even without all that though, I still thought it was pretty. 

A nice thumbnail-sized example of fluorite on matrix, this one has sharp purple phantoms inside light blue-green cubes that have octahedral modifications. 

A nice thumbnail-sized example of fluorite on matrix, this one has cubic purple phantoms inside light blue-green cubes that have octahedral modifications. 

A pretty blue-green and purple fluorite on matrix, from the Yindu Mine. 

Dark, inky blue fluorite crystals on a quartz matrix. Not as showy as the other habits from the locality, but still a nice combination.

Dark, inky blue fluorite crystals on a quartz matrix. Not as showy as the other habits from the locality, but still a nice combination.

Dark, inky blue fluorite crystals on a quartz matrix. Not as showy as the other habits from the locality, but still a nice combination.

A very distinctively Yindu specimen-- while the habits vary widely, there is something telltale about the plates of yellowish muscovite balls studded with fluorites. This one hosts a single dark fluorite.  With strong lighting you can see something of a square window in the middle of the crystal-- there are two generations of fluorite here, and the "window" is one face of an earlier-generation fluorite crystal that was not overgrown.  

A thumbnail sized specimen of very transparent fluorite with that beautiful aqua blue-green color. Some contacting around the edges, but the form is exactly as shown

A very pretty thumbnail of saturated green flourite with inky blue-purple phantoms. 

A very beautifully colored blue fluorite, with a dark inky core. 

A very neat thumbnail-- you can clearly make out a purple octahedron with beveled edges frozen within a very sharp and very transparent cube.  Because you can appreciate the three-dimensionality of the included crystal/ phantom better in person, it's a bit clearer when you have it in front of you-- but even int he 2D pictures you can see how odd this is. 

A thumbnail sized specimen from a very small discovery-- initially there were just two specimens of this material, but one was a plate that got trimmed down into a few more-- the total was less than 8. 

Another unusual Yindu fluorite, this one appears to have started off as a group of light purple crystals, at some point in their growth whatever impurity causes the purple coloration seems to have become more concentrated, giving them an interesting, darker purple outline......  Then they just got locked in a later generation of light green fluorite. 

A nice example of light blue fluorite with purple phantoms, from the Yindu Mine. Etched on the back, and a little on  he front too, giving it an interesting texture. 

A pretty example of fluorite from the Yindu Mine, this one a light purple cubooctahedron nestled in a bed of quartz crystals.

An unusual fluorite for Yindu, this one is a group of purple octahedrons with cubic modifications and stepped faces, sitting on a small group of quartz crystals.

A very blue fluorite, with some inkier blue zones. This is that classic Illinois color, only it's Chinese. The crystal is also a little oddly elongated on the diagonal. Etched on the back. 

Small but cute-- this one is a group of aqua  blue fluorite crystals containing a group of purple octahedrons with beveled edges. With a little extra light they are quite easy to see.  Not perfect, but quite cool.