Fluorite
Fluorite is found as a common gangue mineral in hydrothermal veins, especially those containing lead and zinc minerals. It is also found in some greisens, granites, pegmatites and high-temperature veins, and as a component of some marbles and other metamorphic rocks.
Transparency: Transparent
Colour: Purple, lilac, golden-yellow, green, colourless, blue, pink, champagne, brown.
Streak: White
Hardness: 4 on Mohs scale
Tenacity: Brittle
Cleavage: Perfect *Perfect on {111}, very easy
Parting: Indistinct parting or cleavage on {011} at times
Fracture: Splintery, Sub-Conchoidal
Density: 3.175 - 3.56 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.181 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Elements listed: Ca, F
Common Impurities: Y,Ce,Si,Al,Fe,Mg,Eu,Sm,O,ORG,Cl,TR
Class (H–M): m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group: Fm3m
Name
Named in 1797 by Carlo Antonio Galeani Napione from the Latin, fluere = "to flow" (for its use as a flux). The term fluorescence is derived from fluorite, which will often markedly exhibit this effect. The element fluorine also derives its name from fluorite, a major source of the element.Physical Properties
Lustre: Vitreous, DullTransparency: Transparent
Colour: Purple, lilac, golden-yellow, green, colourless, blue, pink, champagne, brown.
Streak: White
Hardness: 4 on Mohs scale
Tenacity: Brittle
Cleavage: Perfect *Perfect on {111}, very easy
Parting: Indistinct parting or cleavage on {011} at times
Fracture: Splintery, Sub-Conchoidal
Density: 3.175 - 3.56 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.181 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemical Properties
Formula: CaF2Elements listed: Ca, F
Common Impurities: Y,Ce,Si,Al,Fe,Mg,Eu,Sm,O,ORG,Cl,TR
Age Distribution
Recorded ages: Phanerozoic : 321 ± 22 Ma to 20.8 Ma - based on 5 recorded agesCrystallography
Crystal System: IsometricClass (H–M): m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group: Fm3m
Synonyms
Androdamant, Bruiachite, Cand, Chrome-Fluorite, Crimson Night Stone, Derbyshire Spar, Flourite, Fluate of Lime, Fluor, Fluorbaryte, Fluores, Fluoride of Calcium, Fluorspar, Fluor Spar, Flusse, Kand, Liparite (of Glocker), Lithophosphorus Suhlensis, Murrhina, and Tanzanite fluoriteVarieties
Blue John, Cerfluorite, Chlorophane, False Amethyst, Ratovkite, Stink-Fluss, Strontian Fluorite, Tiffany stone, Yttrocerite, and Yttrofluorite
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