raw crystals · Medium — approx. 5–9 cm
Fluorite Raw Specimen
A raw fluorite specimen — either an octahedral cleavage fragment or a natural cluster, depending on the piece. Fluorite is calcium fluoride (CaF₂), one of the most brightly coloured minerals in nature. A single specimen can display multiple colours simultaneously: purple, green, yellow, blue, and clear zones banded in layers that reflect the changing chemistry of the mineralising solution as it grew.
The purple colour comes from lattice defects caused by natural radiation — the same basic mechanism as amethyst but in a completely different mineral. Green fluorite gets its colour from rare earth impurities. Some specimens are fluorescent under UV light, glowing a vivid blue-white or yellow-green. The word fluorescence itself comes from fluorite.
Fluorite cleaves perfectly in four directions along octahedral planes. Natural specimens often show glassy cleavage faces — flat, mirror-bright surfaces that formed not from polishing but from the mineral's atomic structure.
Mineralogy & Properties
Calcium fluoride (CaF₂), Lattice defects (purple colour), Rare earth impurities (green), Mohs hardness: 4, Origin: China, Mexico, or South Africa
Approximate size: 5–9 cm. Weight: 100–300 g. Origin: China, Mexico, or South Africa (varies by lot).
Mineral: Fluorite (CaF₂). Colour: purple-green zoning typical; may also include yellow, blue, or clear zones. Mohs hardness: 4 (moderately soft — do not store with harder minerals). Crystal system: cubic (isometric). Cleavage: perfect octahedral in four directions. Many specimens are fluorescent under UV.
- Dimensions
- Medium — approx. 5–9 cm
- Weight
- 100–300 g