Fluorite
Fluorite – decorative stone
Fluorite is a natural stone from the halide group, chemically calcium fluoride. The name of this mineral comes from the Latin word “fleure”, which means “to flow” and refers to the properties of this crystal that affect the lowering of the melting point of other minerals. The term “fluorescence” is also derived from the name fluorite. It is a distinctive feature of fluorite and is characterized by stones that glow blue under ultraviolet light. Natural fluorite is a fairly common mineral found in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Namibia, Mexico, South Africa and China. It is found primarily in hydrothermal veins along with barite. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 4, indicating that it is a relatively brittle mineral, while its density ranges from 3.1 to 3.2 g/cm³. Its characteristic features include conchoidal fracture, perfect cleavage and vitreous luster. Fluorite stone has a regular crystallographic arrangement in the form of cubic or octahedral crystals.
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Fluorite – Color
Fluorite is available in a variety of colors – from yellow to green, blue, pink and black. It is characterized by an extraordinary variety of colors. Especially appreciated are its multicolored bands, which give it a unique expression. However, it is most commonly found in shades of green and purple, although natural fluorite can be colorless. Fluorite stone exhibits dichroism and even multicolored specimens that change color depending on the intensity of light. The final color of fluorite is determined primarily by its chemical composition and impurities from other minerals. One of the most valuable varieties of this mineral is rainbow fluorite, which, despite its name, does not contain all the colors of the rainbow. Instead, we can observe on the surface of the stone a mixture of intense purple and green, with additional shades of other colors woven into its structure.
Fluorite – Applications
The applications of fluorite are extremely varied and cover many areas of life, from the chemical industry to dentistry and jewelry. Below are some of the major areas where fluorite is widely used:
- Chemical Industry: Fluorite is a necessary raw material for the production of fluorinated chemical compounds such as hydrofluoric acid and fluorinated lithium salt. These substances are used in the metallurgical industry, in the production of plastics, and in the production of pesticides.
- Metallurgical and smelting industries: In the metallurgical industry, fluorite is used as an additive in the smelting process to lower the melting temperature and reduce the viscosity of the slag, making it easier to remove impurities from metals such as aluminum and iron.
- Optical industry: It is used in the manufacture of lenses for cameras and other devices that require precision lenses.
- Jewelry: Because of its beautiful colors, fluorite is valued in jewelry. Especially popular are fluorite crystals with intense colors, which are used in the production of jewelry and ornaments. Fluorite stones look very good when combined with other gemstones such as amethyst, onyx, citrine or chrysoprase.
- Collecting: Because of its properties and color variety, fluorite is a valuable collector’s stone.
