The facts
What fluorite actually is
Fluorite is classified as fluorite, with the composition CaF₂. It crystallises in the cubic system.
Colour comes from colour centres and rare earths; the source of the word fluorescence, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.432–1.434. Specific gravity around 3.00–3.25. Cleavage: perfect, four directions. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where fluorite comes from
Fluorite is produced at Rogerley, England, Illinois, USA, Hunan, China and Namibia.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How fluorite is treated
Sometimes coated or stabilised.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What fluorite is confused with
In the trade fluorite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Amethyst, Glass or Quartz.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.432–1.434 and specific gravity 3.00–3.25 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What fluorite is used for
Demand for fluorite comes from mineral collecting, decorative objects, optics and metallurgy, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the piece.
Durability and care
Fluorite is 4 on the Mohs scale, with perfect, four directions cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What fluorite costs
As a guide, fluorite trades around $0.50–30/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is fluorite treated, and how?
Sometimes coated or stabilised.
Where does fluorite come from?
Rogerley, England, Illinois, USA, Hunan, China and Namibia. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is fluorite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 4 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does fluorite cost?
Indicatively $0.50–30/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is fluorite confused with?
Most often Amethyst, Glass and Quartz. A refractive index of 1.432–1.434 and a specific gravity near 3.00–3.25 separate it quickly.
What is fluorite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, decorative objects, optics and metallurgy. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for fluorite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about fluorite