2.5" Purple Fluorite Crystal Cluster after Calcite - China

This 2.5" purple fluorite aggregation was at one point an association with calcite that broke away, resulting in this unique cast. It is claimed that this fluorite is Yttrofluorite (fluorite containing an appreciable amount of the rare earth element yttrium), but we have not been able to independently verify this.

The specimen was collected in Guizhou, China.

About Calcite Crystals

Calcite crystals are a form of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) known for their diverse shapes, transparency, and vibrant range of colors. They typically form in rhombohedral, scalenohedral, or prismatic shapes, often with well-defined, sharp edges and glossy surfaces. Calcite crystals are often translucent or transparent, sometimes displaying a double refraction effect where objects viewed through the crystal appear doubled. They can appear in various colors—white, clear, yellow, pink, blue, green, and orange—depending on impurities or trace minerals.

A notable characteristic of calcite is its reaction with weak acids like vinegar, which causes it to effervesce, or fizz, as it releases carbon dioxide. This property makes calcite crystals a key tool in geological identification and studies. Calcite forms in many environments, from sedimentary rocks like limestone and marble to hydrothermal veins.

Fluorite is a halide mineral comprised of calcium and fluorine, CaF2. The word fluorite is from the Latin fluo-, which means "to flow". In 1852 fluorite gave its name to the phenomenon known as fluorescence, or the property of fluorite to glow a different color depending upon the bandwidth of the ultraviolet light it is exposed to. Fluorite occurs commonly in cubic, octahedral, and dodecahedral crystals in many different colors. These colors range from colorless and completely transparent to yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, or black. Purples and greens tend to be the most common colors seen, and colorless, pink, and black are the rarest.
SOLD
DETAILS
SPECIES
Fluorite
LOCATION
Dachang, Qinglong, Guizhou, China
SIZE
2.5 x 1.5"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#177588