
ex-Peter G. Seroka Mineral Collection
Xiahualing, Hunan, China
10.5 cm long, about 3 cm in diameter, this is a cylinder, apparently
a stalactite/stalagmite, that was attached at one end. The other end
shows
terminations and the open end of a hollow tube. This perfect, hollow
tube
runs all the way through the length of this specimen. The specimen
consists
of frosted octahedrons, glassy clear inside, with second generation
crystallization
on their tips and with some associated bladed calcite xtls. The
crystals
are octahedrons between 8 mm to 12 mm, with mate but translucent,
colourless
surfaces. Each tip of each octahedrons bears a second generation (
overgrowth)
of very shiny, diamond-lustrous, complex hexoctahedrons ( 321 and 731,
extremely rare and mostly known from descriptions . The crystals
resemble
very much the best known cystal drawing of fluorite from Rosie, New
York,
as illustrated in WHITLOCK (1910). I was fortunate enough to obtain
this
specimen from Peter Seroka. There are no previous reports in the world
literature about such an occurrence; Peter obtained three of
these.

These two photos of the same crystal help visualize the three
dimensionality
of the specimen

This captures the "in-person" look of the specimen under good light
Ice
Candy Land!


This photo has been enhanced to reveal more detail of the complex
terminations

The whole, amazing thing, visualizing the internal tube that likely
carried the fluor solution out
to the emergent tip of the stalactite!

This is backlit by sunlight, causing the tube to appear dark due
to the clarity of the crystals surrounding it.
The photograph above it is backlit in my cabinet at a higher angle
illuminating the inner tube.