FLUORITE ROCK

Product Description

Fluorite is a calcium fluoride mineral (CaF2) well known among geology and mineralogy students for its wide range of natural colours, including purple, green, blue, yellow and colourless forms, often within a single specimen. Its perfect octahedral cleavage and common cubic crystal habit make it an excellent teaching aid for demonstrating crystal symmetry and cleavage planes.

Fluorite is also the mineral that gave fluorescence its name, since many specimens glow visibly under ultraviolet light due to trace impurities in the crystal structure. This makes it a popular, visually engaging addition to any mineral teaching collection, alongside its more conventional value for hardness and cleavage demonstrations.

Specimen Details

Classroom & Lab Applications

• Cleavage plane identification using fluorite’s perfect octahedral cleavage
• Crystal system and cubic habit demonstrations
• Mohs hardness scale reference at the mid-point of the scale
• Fluorescence demonstrations under UV light
• Colour variation discussions in mineral identification exercises

Care & Handling

Fluorite has perfect cleavage in four directions, so it can split or chip if dropped or knocked against harder objects. Store specimens individually or well cushioned in a labelled tray, handle with care during cleavage demonstrations, and keep away from prolonged sunlight, as some fluorite specimens can fade in colour over time with UV exposure.

Why Choose LabEquip

LabEquip supplies genuine rock and mineral specimens for schools, colleges and training institutes, selected for identification accuracy and classroom durability. This fluorite specimen pairs well with our other Educational Rock and Minerals when teaching cleavage and crystal systems, and complements our Corundum Rock specimen for contrasting mineral hardness across the Mohs scale. For institutions equipping a broader earth-science lab, our Chemistry Lab Equipment range covers complementary testing tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is fluorite made of?

Fluorite is calcium fluoride (CaF2), a halide mineral that commonly forms cubic crystals in a wide range of colours.

2. Why does fluorite show different colours?

Trace impurities and structural defects in the crystal lattice cause fluorite to occur in shades of purple, green, blue, yellow and colourless, often within the same specimen.

3. What is fluorite’s cleavage like?

Fluorite has perfect cleavage in four directions, producing octahedral-shaped cleavage fragments, which makes it a classic teaching example of cleavage in mineralogy.

4. Does this specimen glow under UV light?

Many fluorite specimens fluoresce under ultraviolet light due to trace impurities; the effect varies between individual specimens, and this sample is genuine natural fluorite.

5. How hard is fluorite on the Mohs scale?

Fluorite has a Mohs hardness of 4, making it a useful mid-point reference specimen when teaching the hardness scale alongside softer and harder minerals.

6. How should fluorite specimens be stored?

Store fluorite specimens individually or cushioned in a labelled tray, since its perfect cleavage makes it prone to chipping on impact, and avoid prolonged direct sunlight.

Last Updated: September 2026