Fluorite

Fluorite crystal hand specimen, purple hue.

Fluorite crystal structure (cubic), CrystalMaker.

Formula

CaF₂

Structure

Non-silicate

Crystal System

Crystal system: cubic

Physical Properties

Colour in hand specimen: extremely variable: colourless, white, yellow, green, blue and purple most common
Cleavage: perfect octahedral, up to four visible at one time, breaks into dipyramids
Hardness: 4

Optical Properties

Colour in plane polarised light: colourless, pale green or pale violet
Pleochroism: none
Relief: low

Mineral Specimens

M560 Fluorite
Derbyshire
Cubic fluorite crystals
Generally very variable; in this case white to purple
Glassy lustre
Hardness 4
Octahedral cleavage

Mineral Name

fluorite