Green fluorite is prized by collectors for its vibrant, intense emerald to sea-foam green hues and high-quality cubic or octahedral crystal habits. It is frequently found in hydrothermal veins and sedimentary limestone deposits, often associated with other colorful metallic minerals.
Is this green fluorite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch green fluorite with a known reference. Green Fluorite sits at Mohs 4, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Green Fluorite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Green Fluorite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, light green, emerald green, blue-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: isometric. Typical habit: cubic crystals, octahedral crystals, massive.
Often confused with
Green Fluorite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside green fluorite
Minerals reported to co-occur with green fluorite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaF₂
- Mohs hardness
- 4
- Density
- 3.1-3.2 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Isometric
- Crystal habit
- Cubic Crystals, Octahedral Crystals, Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect Octahedral
- Fluorescence
- Frequently Fluorescent Blue to Violet Under UV Light
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary, Ornamental
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Limestone Cavities, Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $10-100 thumbnail, $50-500 cabinet
Where rockhounds find green fluorite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Rogerley Mine, UK
- Erongo Mountains, Namibia
- Denton Mine, USA
- Weardale, UK
- China
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, limestone cavities, granite pegmatites country, the host setting where green fluorite typically forms. If you start seeing calcite, barite, galena in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a cubic crystals, octahedral crystals, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Montana. Start trip planning there.
More green fluorite photos
Common questions
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Find green fluorite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
