Fluorite

specimen number:
2092161

location:
Annabel Lee Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
Deep purple lustrous translucent cubic crystals of fluorite to 3.5 cm on edge covering the top of matrix. Some damage present as seen, still a nice attractive large example.

The Annabel Lee Mine, located in Hardin County, Illinois, was part of the Illinois Kentucky Fluorspar District and represents one of the final phases of mining activity in the region. The mine operated from 1984 until 1995, during a period when limited underground operations continued to extract fluorite from remaining vein deposits after the decline of earlier large scale production. The geology consists of hydrothermal vein mineralization hosted in limestone, where fluorine rich fluids moved through fractures and fault zones to deposit fluorite along with associated minerals such as calcite, galena, and sphalerite. Mining was carried out through underground workings that followed these mineralized zones at depth. Although relatively short lived, the Annabel Lee Mine is significant as one of the last producing mines in the district and for the mineral specimens recovered during this late stage of activity.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.