3-phase inclusion in Fluorite

Conny Forsberg · Post by **Conny Forsberg** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:22 pm

3 phase inclusion consisting of liquid petroleum, gas and solid, ring shaped, bitumen. In Fluorite, Illinois, USA.
Stone from the collection of Hans Nyström, Stockholm

Magnification: approximately 75x
Exposure: 3 sec
2 images stacked with CZM
Camera: Nikon D40X
Microscope: Wild M400

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:21 pm

Petroleum inside a fluorite crystal!

I never saw anything like this. Highly interesting.

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 6:01 am

Welcome Conny!

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:00 am

Interesting formation. I know there is coal, oil and gas in Illinois. I didn't know it would form octagonal shaped bubbles in rocks. Nice image.

Jbailey · Post by **Jbailey** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:12 am

Welcome to the forum, Conny:

That's a good image of a most interesting specimen.
I have large specimens of Fluorite from southern Illinois that I bought from a miner in the 1960's. None have these inclusions That I can discern. They are all too darkly colored to see within.

The mid-west has other bitumen and petroleum associations with collectible minerals. I have a geode from Hamilton, IL that is filled with crude oil. Coincidently, The collector I got it from was also a gemologist and jewelry salesman. I also have Calcite crystals I collected from western Indiana that were coated on the outside with bitumen prior to my carefully cleaning it off.

Jim

Conny Forsberg · Post by **Conny Forsberg** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 1:30 am

Thanks G4

I have found many nice inclusions in fluorite from Illinois during the years but this is the most spectacular of them all. The cavity almost seems dodechaedral.