mineral
Fluorite (Fluorescent)
Calcium Fluoride (CaF2)
Hardness: 4.0 on Mohs scale; Color: Variable (white in normal light, blue under UV); Luster: Vitreous; Crystal Structure: Isometric; Cleavage: Perfect octahedral
- Hardness
- 4
- Color
- Variable (white in normal light, blue under UV)
- Luster
- Vitreous
Identified More mineral →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 4.0 on Mohs scale; Color: Variable (white in normal light, blue under UV); Luster: Vitreous; Crystal Structure: Isometric; Cleavage: Perfect octahedral
Formation & geological history
Hydrothermal origin, typically found in veins formed at low to moderate temperatures as minerals precipitate from hot, mineral-rich fluids. Found in limestone units.
Uses & applications
Used as a flux in steelmaking, in the production of hydrofluoric acid, high-fidelity camera lenses, and as a popular collector's mineral.
Geological facts
The phenomenon of 'fluorescence' was actually named after fluorite in 1852 by George Gabriel Stokes. Not all fluorite glows; the effect is usually caused by trace impurities like europium.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its perfect cleavage and specific blue glow under a UV lamp. Commonly found in Illinois, Kentucky, and widespread locations in China and Mexico.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Nephrite Jade
Nephrite
Mineral/Rock
Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)
Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)
Metamorphic Rock
![Green Apatite on Albite (Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]) — mineral](https://media.rockidentification.com/2391a63f-fb20-47d5-af9a-2035851eb32e-thumbnail.jpg)
Green Apatite on Albite
Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]
mineral
Epidote
Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)
mineral