Calcite–Fluorite drusy cluster, Mekhtar, Pakistan — 89 g

Description

This handheld cabinet specimen is a dense drusy cluster of pale yellow to colourless translucent calcite and fluorite seated on matrix. Many crystals are blocky to tabular in outline with flat, reflective faces and a glassy, slightly sparkly lustre across the druse surface. The cluster presents a compact, textured surface of small, closely packed crystals. The piece measures 7.5 × 5 × 2 cm and weighs 89 g. It comes from Mekhtar in the Loralai District of Balochistan, Pakistan, and shows clear, blocky/tabular habits and a mix of pale yellow and colourless tones across the crystals. Fluorite is calcium fluoride (CaF2) and calcite is calcium carbonate (CaCO3); both commonly occur together in hydrothermal and vein environments, with fluorite often forming cubic habits and calcite showing a range of crystal habits and colours. This specimen illustrates the visual contrast between the two calcium-bearing minerals in a compact drusy cluster.