Fluorite

Despite its intense colors, this fluorite is very transparent – almost glassy. The crystals show a beautiful violet to light lilac color on the outside and an intense blue color on the inside. With LED backlight, the blue color changes to a pleasant cyan. The interplay of light violet on the outside and the beautiful cyan-blue is what makes the fluorite special. This color shift occurs as the piece is moved. The largest fluorite cube measures exactly 4.8 cm across the edge. The crystal surfaces show a fine square texture with a silky luster, caused by water etching. Another highlight is the dark purple spots that occasionally appear on the piece. These dark patches of color are most likely due to naturally occurring radioactivity from an included mineral. In addition, there are isolated bright, intergrown “Hahnenkamm” barite crystals beneath the surface of the fluorite in this area. The crystals are undamaged, and the sides show beautiful structures from water etching. The first, second, fourth, and fifth photos were taken with medium LED backlighting.

This find was published in The Mineralogical Record - Mineral Magazine Vol. 54 No. 6.2. A detailed report on this find, including videos, can be found on my homepage.