Cochise College Student Papers in Geology
Geology Home Page physical geology historical geology planetary gems
Roger Weller, geology instructor
wellerr@cochise.edu
Fluorescent Minerals
Steve Tyminski
Physical Geology
Fall 2007
Fluorite
Fluorite is composed of calcium fluoride. It is an isometric mineral with
a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not
uncommon. The name fluorite is derived from the Latin fluo, meaning
"flow", in reference to its industrial use as a flux.
Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral which is found in large deposits in many areas. Notable deposits occur in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Norway, Mexico, and Ontario in Canada. Large deposits also occur in Kenya in the Kerio Valley area within the Great Rift Valley. In the United States deposits are found in Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kentucky, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Alaska and Texas. Illinois has historically been the largest producer of fluorite in the United States, however, the last of the mines closed in 1995. The Illinois general assembly passed a resolution in 1965 declaring fluorite as the official state mineral.
This example of Fluorite / Scheelite is from the Dona Anna mine in the Little
Dragoon Mountains of Cochise County, AZ. Specimen is from the private
collection of Roy Parsons.
Fluorite
and Scheelite, normal light
Fluorite and Scheelite mixture are purple and white
Fluorite and Scheelite, under ultraviolet light
Fluorite is pink, Scheelite is blue-white
This example of Fluorite is from the Dona Anna mine in the Little Dragoon
Mountains of Cochise County, AZ. Specimen is from the private collection of Roy
Parsons.
Fluorite,
normal light
Fluorite is white
Fluorite,
under ultraviolet light
Fluorite is bright blue.