วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 29 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2553

FLUORITE


Fluorite is rarely faceted due to this variety of gem being too soft; however, highly polished cabochons can be found. Interestingly, the most famous location for this amazing gem is Castleton in Derbyshire, England. This is where the famous Blue John is found and is highly prized as an ornamental stone. The English miners used to call the crystals ‘ore flowers’ and collectors have called fluorite ‘the most colourful mineral in the world’.

Its name is derived from the Latin word “fluere”, which means “to flow” and refers to the gem’s low melting point. At a hardness of just 4 on the Mohs scale, the gem is not often set in jewellery.

As mentioned under fluorescence, the household fluorescent tube owes the “fluorescent” part of its name to this gemstone.

As well as being discovered in the UK (where it is of gem-quality), Fluorite is also mined in various states in the USA, including Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado, Arizona and even New York. Other countries that mine Fluorite include Germany, Switzerland, Mexico and Canada.

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