Fluorite

The mineral fluorite, CaF₂, occurs in forms which are hard and brilliant enough to be made into gems. These examples of fluorite are on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The wide variety of colors available in fluorite gems led to comment in the Smithsonian display that fluorite may exhibit more color variations than any other mineral. Defects in the atomic structure as well as impurities can give rise to color. Impurities or vacancies of a few parts per million are enough to tint a colorless crystal. The gems at left are 57.8 and 99.8 carats and are from South Africa.

This large fluorite gem is about 8cm across.

This 611.5 carat gem is from New South Wales, Australia. It scales to about 5 cm wide.

The fluorite gem at left is 118.7 carats and is from Weardale, Durham, England.

The gems at right are 46.9 and 69.8 carats and are from Hardin County, Illinois.

The fluorite gems at left are 229.3 and 237.2 carats and are from Westmoreland, New Hampshire.

The top gem at right is 107.8 carats from Mexico, and the bottom gem is 234.6 carats from Tanzania. They are shown at the same scale.

These fluorite gems are 354.1 and 492.1carats and are from Korea.

Fluorite crystals typically range in color from blue to violet. These gems are of size 86.9 and 118.5 carats from Hardin County, Illinois.

At left is a 348.3 carat fluorite gem from Korea. At right are 12.9 and 48.4 carat gems from Goschenertal, Uri, Switzerland.