Sunny Fluorite Ball on MM Quartz

Most of this collection comes from a region of India known geologically as the Deccan Traps. This area was the site of cataclysmic volcanic activity about 66 million years ago largely due to plate tectonics, the movement of the Indian continental plate. There is some debate as to exactly how long the eruptions lasted but "tens of thousands of years" is a true statement. The resulting lava flows created deep layers of volcanic basalt, in which there were bubbles and cracks. Over the very long time horizon that is geologic time, mineral-rich water percolated through the basalt and, when presented with the appropriate combination of minerals-in-solution, temperature, stillness, and time (lots and lots of time) these absolutely breathtaking crystals formed. The geologic process is not exclusive to the location, but it is by far the most exceptional on the planet in terms of mineral specimens of this type.

This is a completely natural mineral formation, formed in a void space within ancient volcanic rock. It was formed by naturally occurring geologic processes. The outer shape of the stone was trimmed and shaped by hand to reduce its size from the host stone and to best highlight the crystal growth it contained.