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Fluorite
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Fluorite | NMNH G10676 | United Kingdom, England | 9.24 ct |
Fluorite is calcium fluoride and crystallizes in the cubic system, forming most often as cubes and octahedra. These beautiful cubic crystals are seen in many fine mineral specimens at the National Museum of Natural History. Sometimes fluorite is cut as gemstones, but mainly for collectors, as the hardness (4 on the Mohs’s scale) is very low, making the stones too soft and fragile to be used in most jewelry. Fluorite ranges in color from colorless to yellow, brown, orange, green, blue, violet and pink and is typically transparent to semi-transparent with color zoning being very common. Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral, and gem quality specimens are found in many places, including: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Mexico, England, Canada, Kenya, Korea, Pakistan, China, Tanzania, and the United States. This cushion cut 9.24ct fluorite is from England and displays a beautiful intense green color.