Fluorite

Fluorite is said to absorb and neutralize negative vibrations. It makes one more receptive to the vibrations of other stones. Fluorite should be kept in every room of the home. Fluorite is known as the "Genius Stone".

• increases concentration
• helps in decision-making

Fluorite may be used with other stones. It helps to open the way for the power of other stones to be effective. It can be used as a meditation stone to help energize the body and raise the power of concentration.

One of the most famous of the older-known localities of fluorite is Castleton in Derbyshire, England, where, under the name of Derbyshire Blue John, beautiful purple-blue fluorite was extracted from the Blue John Cavern. It was used for ornamental purposes, especially in the 19th century. The name derives from French "bleu et jaune" (blue and yellow) characterising its colour. It is now scarce, and only a few hundred kilograms are mined each year for ornamental and lapidary use. Recent deposits in China have produced fluorite with similar colouring and banding to the classic Blue John stone.

Fluorite has a wide range of colours including yellow, blue, pink purple and green. It is an interesting and beautiful stone because often more than one colour occurs in a single stone. The ancient Egyptians used flourite to carve statues and scarabs, the Chinese have used it in carvings for over 300 years. In the 18th century, fluorite was powdered in water to relieve the symptoms of kidney disease.

Fluorite may occur as a vein deposit, especially with metallic minerals, where it often forms a part of the gangue (the worthless "host-rock" in which valuable minerals occur) and may be associated with galena, sphalerite, barite, quartz, and calcite. It is a common mineral in deposits of hydrothermal origin and has been noted as a primary mineral in granites and other igneous rocks and as a common minor constituent of dolostone and limestone.

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

Fluorite gives its name to the property of fluorescence, as many samples fluoresce strongly in ultra-violet light. The fluorescence may be due to impurities such as yttrium or organic matter in the crystal lattice.

Unfortunately not all fluorites fluoresce, even from the same locality, so UV lighting is not a reliable tool for identification of specimens, or for quantifying the mineral in mixtures. For example, among British fluorites, those from Northumberland, Durham and Eastern Cumbria are the most consistently fluorescent. Those from Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Cornwall are generally either not fluorescent, or feebly fluorescent.

Fluorite's fluorescence colour is largely dependent on where the original specimen was located. Blue is the most common colour but red, purple, yellow, green and white also occur. Fluorite also exhibits the property of thermoluminescence.