Terra Harmonia -Resources for Rock Clubs and Rockhounds
Home-grown ‘Diamonds’ - Illinois Fluorite like you've never seen it!
by regina kapta
Tom Wiesner is highly regarded as a collector, and was known as “The Fluorite Man” in Tucson for many years, although he has since sold his collection a few years ago. The Wiesner Fluorite Collection was so well known that the Springfield, Illinois State Museum featured a program of his mineral specimens. While also known for his incredible cabochons, it’s the exceptional polished fluorite octahedrons that are truly unique. While I’m trying to decide how to photograph these incredible octahedrons - what angle do you shoot when each side reveals an awesome beauty? - we asked Tom a few questions about his fascination with shaping and polishing fluorite. Fluorite usually grows as a cubic crystal, but breaks (cleaves) as an octahedron. So the octahedrons are made out of massive fluorite – not usually out of crystals. Crystals are valuable just as they are.
amethyst
Anna Belle Mine
barite marbles in fluorite
blue fluorite
Cave-in-rock IL
classic locality
crystals
Denton Mine
earthinsync
fluorite
fluorite diamonds
gem Mineral shows
Hardin County IL
Illinois fluorite
Minerva Mine
octohedrons
purple fluorite
Quarry hunts
rock clubs
rock shop on the web
rock shows
rockhound
rockshop
Terra harmonia