Fluorite is a valuable mineral used in industry

Fluorite
Chemical formula: CaF2.
Cleavage: perfect along the edges of the octahedron.
Singonia: cubic, well-formed cubic crystals, less often octahedral and dodecahedral, are noted in cavities of veins and pegmatites.
Transparency: transparent and translucent.
The refractive index: n = 1.432 - 1.437, yttrium n = 1.443-1.457.
Dispersion: 0.007.
Glitter: glass.
Pleochroism: absent
Absorption (the most distinct lines): 585 nm - green fluorite; 490-470 nm - yellow.
Color: colorless, blue, pink, yellow, green, purple (almost black). Often there is unevenness and different intensity of color, banded and spotted differences occur.
Hardness: 4, is brittle.
Density: 3.18 g / cm3; In yttrium fluorite 3.6 g / cm3.
Fracture: Plane-like to stiff, uneven.
Luminescence: bright violet with a bluish-green hue.

Fluorite contains various admixtures: rare earth elements, silica, aluminum, magnesium, iron, titanium, chromium, manganese, bituminous substances, gases, etc. In many deposits, fluorite differs in the composition and content of impurities.

The size of the crystals sometimes reaches 20-25 cm, rarely 30-60 cm, in diameter (pegmatites of Kazakhstan), often there are twins, druses. This is characteristic of pegmatites, miarolic and dissolution cavities in vein formations and among carbonate rocks. The vein fluorite is usually a continuous crystalline fine or medium-grained mass.

The name comes from the lat. Spatum fluoricum - fluorspar. Fluorite is an exceptionally valuable material used in a number of industries (optical, chemical, metallurgical, etc.). In addition, it is an amazingly beautiful mineral: ancient miners called it an ore flower. Fluorite duplicated various precious stones: topaz, ruby, sapphire, amethyst, etc. It produced vases and other stone-cutting products, mostly blue and purple banded varieties from Derbyshire (England) named "Blue John". These products adorn many mineralogical museums in the world.

In the CIS, fluorite deposits of various genetic types are known, but they are mainly used to obtain decorative and ornamental varieties and for collection purposes chamber pegmatites of shallow depths (Kazakhstan, etc.) containing large differently colored crystals and fluoride druses, as well as almost monomineral fluorite hydrothermal Vein deposits of Transbaikalia.

In pegmatites, fluorite was extracted for the optical industry in a complex with other minerals: various gems (topaz, etc.), rock crystal, quartz, feldspar, etc. In fluorite veins developed for the metallurgical and chemical industries, decorative and ornamental fluorite is usually Is lost, as in the general mass it is shipped (as raw materials) to metallurgical plants. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange picking for the preservation of valuable varieties of jewelry and ornamental fluorite.

Fluorite of the Transbaikalian deposits is unique. Particularly beautiful are the fluorites of Kalanguisky (banded bluish-blue, dense-violet, interbedded with pyrite) and Abagaituisky (varying in intensity, green and light to snow-white, yellow, and rainbow) deposits.

Despite the relative softness and perfect cleavage, at present the demand for fluorite has increased dramatically. It is used as an ornamental material for decoration of interiors of premises, as well as inserts, including faceted ones, in jewelry that exclude constant friction - pendants, earrings. Monomineral, druses, polished fluorite plates are used as a collection material.

In the CIS and Russia, complex deposits of ornamental and ornamental fluorite in Kazakhstan and Transbaikalia are exploited by open and underground methods. In Ukraine fluorite is not developed.

Popular gems, which are represented on the territory of the CIS (former USSR)

• Diamond is the hardest and one of the most expensive minerals in the world
• Alexandrite (chrysoberyl) - one of the rarest and original stones
• Beryl (group of beryl) - heliodores, emeralds, aquamarines, morganites
• Turquoise - blue and green precious stone of the East
• Granat (group of pomegranates) - popular inexpensive gems
• Jadeite is a popular stone used in the Neolithic
• Pearls - traditional and favorite decoration of the Slavs
• Quartz (a group of quartz) is an extremely popular mineral in collections
• Corundum (group of corundums ) - colorless corundums, rubies and sapphires
• Lazurite - blue stone of the high blue mountains of Pamir and Afghanistan
• Malachite - the Ural malachite is considered the best in the world
• Jade is the sacred green stone of Chinese emperors
• Feldspars - Labrador, Moonstone, Sun Stone, Amazonite
• Rodonit (orlez) - a beautiful pink stone of the Urals, a stone of Russia
• Topaz - blue, yellow, wine and polychrome minerals
• Tourmaline - original gems of all colors and shades
• Fluorite is a valuable mineral used in industry
• Chrysolite - magmatic mineral, transparent garnet olivine
• Spinel was relatively recently identified as an independent class
• Amber (fossil resin of ancient trees) - frozen time
• Jasper - an unusual mineral with a wide palette of coloring