“This specimen is not so simple as it may seem at first glance. At close-up photos, we can see phantom pyramids inside fluorite crystals, which look like lighter color crosses if look from above (see photo 2 in child photos). But where do they come from? Let's look at photo 3. In the left part of the specimen, the octahedral-shaped crystals covered with unidentified reddish-brown mineral can be clearly seen. And directly on the tops of these octahedrons there grow 2-nd generation transparent fluorite cubes. B.Z. Kantor wrote about similar case in his book "Conversations about Minerals": "The edges of the 1st generation octahedron fluorite are covered with a crust of small crystals [reddish-brown mineral], which blocked the access of nutrient solution to covered faces. So the growth continued only at the tops, which continied to grow changing habitus to a combination of a cube and a rhombodecahedron". Same processes took place with the crystal on this photo and resulted in formation of a "vertex" crystal. On the above sample, which was originally a druse of octahedral fluorite crystals, each of the octahedral crystal continued its growth as a "vertex". Inside alsmost all cubic fluorite crystals the vertex of the octahedron is clearly seen. Moreover, in this case the ribs of the octahedrons were also not covered by blocking crust, and on ribs chains of small transparent cubic fluorites appeared. All small ones are keeping the same orientation as their mother crystal (because they actually form 1 complex shaped crystal with it, extending the same crystal lattice). The photo's author schematically shows it in drawing (photo 4). And the lighter colored crosses mentioned before are those ribs not covered with the blocking crust, preserved in their earlier state. Compare mode allows to compare the drawing with the original photo it was made from. One of fluorite vertex crystals seems to have chipped, and the edge of this chipping coincides with the edge of the original octahedron (photo 5). And thanks to this, you can see the vertex of the octahedron not only from the top but also from the side. Masha Milshina collection and photo. The photo is published with Masha Milshina's permission. ”

“This is a not so simple specimen as it may seem at first glance. At close-up photos, we can see phantom pyramids inside fluorite crystals, which look like lighter color crosses if look from above (see photo 2 in child photos). But where do they come from? Let's look at photo 3. In the left part of the specimen, the octahedral-shaped crystals covered with unidentified reddish-brown mineral can be clearly seen. And directly on the tops of these octahedrons there grow 2-nd generation transparent fluorite cubes. B.Z. Kantor wrote about similar case in his book "Conversations about Minerals": "The edges of the 1st generation octahedron fluorite are covered with a crust of small crystals [reddish-brown mineral], which blocked the access of nutrient solution to covered faces. So the growth continued only at the tops, which continied to grow changing habitus to a combination of a cube and a rhombodecahedron". Same processes took place with the crystal on this photo and resulted in formation of a "vertex" crystal. On the above sample, which was originally a druse of octahedral fluorite crystals, each of the octahedral crystal continued its growth as a "vertex". Inside alsmost all cubic fluorite crystals the vertex of the octahedron is clearly seen. Moreover, in this case the ribs of the octahedrons were also not covered by blocking crust, and on ribs chains of small transparent cubic fluorites appeared. All small ones are keeping the same orientation as their mother crystal (because they actually form 1 complex shaped crystal with it, extending the same crystal lattice). The photo's author schematically shows it in drawing (photo 4). And the lighter colored crosses mentioned before are those ribs not covered with the blocking crust, preserved in their earlier state. Compare mode allows to compare the drawing with the original photo it was made from. One of fluorite vertex crystals seems to have chipped, and the edge of this chipping coincides with the edge of the original octahedron (photo 5). And thanks to this, you can see the vertex of the octahedron not only from the top but also from the side. Masha Milshina collection and photo. The photo is published with Masha Milshina permission.. ”

“This specimen is not so simple as it may seem at first glance. At close-up photos, we can see phantom pyramids inside fluorite crystals, which look like lighter color crosses if look from above (see photo 2 in child photos). But where do they come from? Let's look at photo 3. In the left part of the specimen, the octahedral-shaped crystals covered with unidentified reddish-brown mineral can be clearly seen. And directly on the tops of these octahedrons there grow 2-nd generation transparent fluorite cubes. B.Z. Kantor wrote about similar case in his book "Conversations about Minerals": "The edges of the 1st generation octahedron fluorite are covered with a crust of small crystals [reddish-brown mineral], which blocked the access of nutrient solution to covered faces. So the growth continued only at the tops, which continied to grow changing habitus to a combination of a cube and a rhombodecahedron". Same processes took place with the crystal on this photo and resulted in formation of a "vertex" crystal. On the above sample, which was originally a druse of octahedral fluorite crystals, each of the octahedral crystal continued its growth as a "vertex". Inside alsmost all cubic fluorite crystals the vertex of the octahedron is clearly seen. Moreover, in this case the ribs of the octahedrons were also not covered by blocking crust, and on ribs chains of small transparent cubic fluorites appeared. All small ones are keeping the same orientation as their mother crystal (because they actually form 1 complex shaped crystal with it, extending the same crystal lattice). The photo's author schematically shows it in drawing (photo 4). And the lighter colored crosses mentioned before are those ribs not covered with the blocking crust, preserved in their earlier state. Compare mode allows to compare the drawing with the original photo it was made from. One of fluorite vertex crystals seems to have chipped, and the edge of this chipping coincides with the edge of the original octahedron (photo 5). And thanks to this, you can see the vertex of the octahedron not only from the top but also from the side. Masha Milshina collection and photo. The photo is published with Masha Milshina's permission. ”

“This is a not so simple specimen as it may seem at first glance. At close-up photos, we can see phantom pyramids inside fluorite crystals, which look like lighter color crosses if look from above (see photo 2 in child photos). But where do they come from? Let's look at photo 3. In the left part of the specimen, the octahedral-shaped crystals covered with unidentified reddish-brown mineral can be clearly seen. And directly on the tops of these octahedrons there grow 2-nd generation transparent fluorite cubes. B.Z. Kantor wrote about similar case in his book "Conversations about Minerals": "The edges of the 1st generation octahedron fluorite are covered with a crust of small crystals [reddish-brown mineral], which blocked the access of nutrient solution to covered faces. So the growth continued only at the tops, which continied to grow changing habitus to a combination of a cube and a rhombodecahedron". Same processes took place with the crystal on this photo and resulted in formation of a "vertex" crystal. On the above sample, which was originally a druse of octahedral fluorite crystals, each of the octahedral crystal continued its growth as a "vertex". Inside alsmost all cubic fluorite crystals the vertex of the octahedron is clearly seen. Moreover, in this case the ribs of the octahedrons were also not covered by blocking crust, and on ribs chains of small transparent cubic fluorites appeared. All small ones are keeping the same orientation as their mother crystal (because they actually form 1 complex shaped crystal with it, extending the same crystal lattice). The photo's author schematically shows it in drawing (photo 4). And the lighter colored crosses mentioned before are those ribs not covered with the blocking crust, preserved in their earlier state. Compare mode allows to compare the drawing with the original photo it was made from. One of fluorite vertex crystals seems to have chipped, and the edge of this chipping coincides with the edge of the original octahedron (photo 5). And thanks to this, you can see the vertex of the octahedron not only from the top but also from the side. Masha Milshina collection and photo. The photo is published with Masha Milshina's permission. ”

“This is a not so simple specimen as it may seem at first glance. At close-up photos, we can see phantom pyramids inside fluorite crystals, which look like lighter color crosses if look from above (see photo 2 in child photos). But where do they come from? Let's look at photo 3. In the left part of the specimen, the octahedral-shaped crystals covered with unidentified reddish-brown mineral can be clearly seen. And directly on the tops of these octahedrons there grow 2-nd generation transparent fluorite cubes. B.Z. Kantor wrote about similar case in his book "Conversations about Minerals": "The edges of the 1st generation octahedron fluorite are covered with a crust of small crystals [reddish-brown mineral], which blocked the access of nutrient solution to covered faces. So the growth continued only at the tops, which continied to grow changing habitus to a combination of a cube and a rhombodecahedron". Same processes took place with the crystal on this photo and resulted in formation of a "vertex" crystal. On the above sample, which was originally a druse of octahedral fluorite crystals, each of the octahedral crystal continued its growth as a "vertex". Inside alsmost all cubic fluorite crystals the vertex of the octahedron is clearly seen. Moreover, in this case the ribs of the octahedrons were also not covered by blocking crust, and on ribs chains of small transparent cubic fluorites appeared. All small ones are keeping the same orientation as their mother crystal (because they actually form 1 complex shaped crystal with it, extending the same crystal lattice). The photo's author schematically shows it in drawing (photo 4). And the lighter colored crosses mentioned before are those ribs not covered with the blocking crust, preserved in their earlier state. Compare mode allows to compare the drawing with the original photo it was made from. One of fluorite vertex crystals seems to have chipped, and the edge of this chipping coincides with the edge of the original octahedron (photo 5). And thanks to this, you can see the vertex of the octahedron not only from the top but also from the side. Masha Milshina collection and photo. The photo is published with Masha Milshina's permission. ”

“This is a not so simple specimen as it may seem at first glance. At close-up photos, we can see phantom pyramids inside fluorite crystals, which look like lighter color crosses if look from above (see photo 2 in child photos). But where do they come from? Let's look at photo 3. In the left part of the specimen, the octahedral-shaped crystals covered with unidentified reddish-brown mineral can be clearly seen. And directly on the tops of these octahedrons there grow 2-nd generation transparent fluorite cubes. B.Z. Kantor wrote about similar case in his book "Conversations about Minerals": "The edges of the 1st generation octahedron fluorite are covered with a crust of small crystals [reddish-brown mineral], which blocked the access of nutrient solution to covered faces. So the growth continued only at the tops, which continied to grow changing habitus to a combination of a cube and a rhombodecahedron". Same processes took place with the crystal on this photo and resulted in formation of a "vertex" crystal. On the above sample, which was originally a druse of octahedral fluorite crystals, each of the octahedral crystal continued its growth as a "vertex". Inside alsmost all cubic fluorite crystals the vertex of the octahedron is clearly seen. Moreover, in this case the ribs of the octahedrons were also not covered by blocking crust, and on ribs chains of small transparent cubic fluorites appeared. All small ones are keeping the same orientation as their mother crystal (because they actually form 1 complex shaped crystal with it, extending the same crystal lattice). The photo's author schematically shows it in drawing (photo 4). And the lighter colored crosses mentioned before are those ribs not covered with the blocking crust, preserved in their earlier state. Compare mode allows to compare the drawing with the original photo it was made from. One of fluorite vertex crystals seems to have chipped, and the edge of this chipping coincides with the edge of the original octahedron (photo 5). And thanks to this, you can see the vertex of the octahedron not only from the top but also from the side. Masha Milshina collection and photo. The photo is published with Masha Milshina's permission. ”