Fluorite

specimen number:
2102155

location:
Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA

description:
A beautiful specimen with gemmy light purple lustrous cubic crystals of fluorite measuring to 2.7 cm on edge across the top of a sphalerite crystal matrix. Minimal micro-damage present, this not atypical of these. This one is pretty clean and in good condition. Crystallized completely all around.

The Elmwood Mine, located in Smith County, Tennessee, is part of the Central Tennessee Zinc District and is world-renowned for producing some of the finest mineral specimens ever recovered. Geologically, the mine is a Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) deposit hosted within the Ordovician-aged Knox Group, where mineralizing fluids replaced limestone and dolomite along brecciated zones and ancient solution cavities. These large voids allowed for the unhindered growth of spectacular crystals, most notably translucent fluorite, lustrous jet-black sphalerite, and large honey-colored calcite scalenohedrons. While often associated with minor galena and chalcopyrite, the mine is most famous for its four signature species: fluorite, sphalerite, calcite, and barite. Industrial operations began in the early 1970s, primarily targeting zinc ore, and have continued under various owners such as Jersey Miniere and Nyrstar. Despite periods of closure, Elmwood remains a legendary source for museum-quality specimens, cemented by over fifty years of producing some of the most aesthetic mineral combinations in the United States.

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