Fluorite Crystal Freestanding Point
Fluorite is known as the 'most colourful mineral in the world,' and it’s easy to see why.
Its vivid hues range from deep purples to vibrant greens, soft blues, and even yellows, often within the same crystal.
These colours come from trace elements like iron, yttrium, or organic material, but what’s really fascinating is how fluorite interacts with light.
Fluorite's colours are enhanced when the crystal is held up to bright light, but moving it slowly at different angles under ambient light also reveals some fascinating effects.
The colours in some fluorite can fade when exposed to UV light.
Fluorite has perfect cleavage in four directions, which means that because of its internal structure, it can break cleanly and smoothly along four specific planes, forming almost perfect geometric shapes.
Cleavage in crystals describes how they split apart due to their atomic arrangement. Fluorite’s cleavage makes it fragile so it must always be handled carefully.
