January 3, 2024

all about fluorite

Throat & third eye chakras
4 hardness level
Balances & cleanses energy
Mental clarity, decision making, focus

Geology

Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of the elements calcium and fluorine and has a hardness of 4 out of 10 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. Fluorite is known for being fluorescent under different wavelengths of light, however not every specimen will glow. The fluorescence is due to trace impurities of other elements within the crystal structure. The word fluorescence actually comes from the name fluorite!

Some fluorites even exhibit a feature called thermoluminescence, which is the ability to glow when heated. Not all fluorites do this, it’s actually quite rare! And it can only be done once per crystal, once it is heated and glows you won’t be able to see it again.

How is fluorite formed?

There are a couple different ways fluorite crystals can form. Most commonly, fluorite is deposited in hydrothermal veins where hot water containing fluorine and other elements moves through cracks in the earth and interact with the surrounding rock. The elements from the hot water and the elements from the rock allow for crystals to form within these cracks. Fluorite is very often found alongside metallic ores such as sphalerite and galena, or other minerals like calcite and quartz.

Fluorite can also be found in evaporite deposits. Evaporite deposits form when saline waters evaporate, leaving behind the dissolved minerals as solid deposits. If the water contains sufficient calcium and fluorine ions, fluorite can be left behind as a deposit.

Fluorite may also occur in marine sediments, where it forms as a result of the slow accumulation of organic matter and minerals in marine environments.

These are all sedimentary ways that fluorite can form, but it can sometimes form in igneous or metamorphic rocks as well, although this isn’t nearly as common.

Fluorite has an isometric crystal system- crystal systems describe the way the atoms within the crystal are arranged, which translates to the shape of the crystal that you can see externally. With an isometric crystal system, fluorite usually forms in cubes or octahedrons. Fluorite can form in other crystal structures as well, such as massive crystals. Massive crystal structure means the crystals are too small to be seen with the naked eye and there’s no visible crystal structure. It can also form botryoidal crystals, which are round! This is a very rare form for fluorite but has become more popular and well known lately since yellow botryoidal fluorite on calcite has hit the market and looks like an egg!

How does fluorite get its color?

Usually color can be a useful factor when identifying an unknown crystal, but not for fluorite! Fluorite comes in many colors including purple, blue, green, yellow, and clear. Sometimes it comes in a single color, sometimes it has many colors within one piece! Fluorite gets its color from various element inclusions. For example, yttrium fluorite (also known as pastel or lavender fluorite) get its color from yttrium in the crystal structure.

Fluorite often shows a feature called color zoning, which is the change in colors within a piece of fluorite. This causes the unique banding, zig zags, and multicolored crystal cubes. Color zoning occurs when there are changes in conditions during formation of the crystal, which can be change in temperature or change in availability of trace elements.

Localities

Fluorite is found in many places across the world including the US, China, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain & more.

In the US you can find fluorite in Illinois, Colorado, Alaska, Arizona, California, New Mexico & more! Fluorite is very common and can be found within other rocks. So while you can find fluorite in many different places, it’s usually within other rocks or as raw specimens. You’re not going to find huge amounts of the material that can be carved into spheres and towers from anywhere. Also, some of these fluorite deposits are used for industrial purposes, not for being sold as specimens.

Safety & care

While fluorite isn’t the softest mineral, it is probably the most fragile I’ve ever worked with! Fluorite is a brittle mineral, meaning it can fracture easily. These fractures occur internally, so the rock can still be held together while fractured. You can see many fractures within a piece of fluorite, and these make it easy for the stone to break. I’ve had so many fluorite towers just break in half without even dropping them! I’d also be careful with thin pieces of fluorite, such as cabochons or jewelry. I still wear fluorite jewelry, but just note that it may scratch or break if you aren’t careful with it.

Is fluorite water safe?

I would keep fluorite crystals out of water, as water can get in these internal cracks in the stone and cause it to break more easily. Saltwater is especially damaging to fluorite, as it can cause it to break down more quickly. A quick rinse or dusting your crystal off with a damp towel is perfectly fine, just avoid extended contact with water. Fluorite is also sensitive to sun, and direct sunlight can cause the colors to fade quickly. This means the best ways to energetically cleanse your selenite would be moonlight, smoke cleansing, or selenite.

Metaphysical Properties

The spiritual properties of fluorite vary a bit depending on the color. Different colored stones are associated with different chakras. In general, fluorite is associated with the throat and third eye chakras.

Fluorite is a great stone for mental clarity, decision making, and clearing negative thoughts from your mind. Along with sodalite, this is the stone I always recommend for people in school who need extra help staying focused. This is also a great stone for libras, and as a libra with ADHD who can’t make a decision to save their life, I think it makes sense why I’m so drawn to fluorite.

Fluorite not only clears your mind from distractions, but helps you to get clear on what you want in life. Fluorite is all about balance- it helps you balance your energy and aura and provides stability. This is a powerful stone for self discovery & self expression. It allows us to be our truest self without the negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, and distractions that weigh us down. Fluorite is an uplifting stone that clears out any negativity in its surroundings.

Fluorite is great to meditate with as it helps to clear your mind and connect to your higher self. It is also a useful stone for manifestation, as it aids in decision making that is aligned with your desires and highest self. It is a great stone for getting energy moving again to help you get out of a rut in life.

Blue fluorite encourages calm, clear, direct communication.