Fluorite (Ref: 12)

This is the finest specimen of Fluorite from the St. Pierre Vein which we have on offer at the moment. An excellent piece with superbly cubed and well defined crystals of light honey yellow Fluorite, richly and three dimensional set on matrix. The Fluorite itself is highly lustrous, transparent, partly gemmy and sharp edged as well. A fine small cabinet sized specimen from a relatively old find in the 1990s. An almost pristine piece from a classic and rarely seen French locale, the St. Pierre Vein near Belfort. The oldest documents describing the operation of the vein ´Saint-Pierre Vein´ dates from the fifteenth century, but they may have begun well before during the thirteenth century. It was a great mine in the past, one of three most profitable. Before the nineteenth century historians have described a deep mine with 13 shafts below the river level (approx. 400 meters). One of the most important regional pumping machinery was installed into the mine and with a water wheel outside the edge of the first shaft. This mine cannot be visited since closure in 1850. (mindat)