Purple Fluorite is highly sought by collectors for its sharp cubic or octahedral crystal forms and vibrant violet hues. It is frequently found in hydrothermal vein deposits and is well-known for its characteristic perfect cleavage and strong fluorescence under ultraviolet light.
Is this purple 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 purple fluorite with a known reference. Purple 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. Purple Fluorite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Purple Fluorite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: purple, violet, lavender.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: cubic crystals, octahedral crystals, massive.
Often confused with
Purple Fluorite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Amethyst is the harder of the two (Mohs 7 vs. 4).
How to tell apart: Purple Fluorite is noticeably harder (Mohs 4 vs. 2.5).
How to tell apart: Purple Fluorite is noticeably harder (Mohs 4 vs. 3).
Often found alongside purple fluorite
Minerals reported to co-occur with purple 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
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Cubic Crystals, Octahedral Crystals, Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect Octahedral
- Fluorescence
- Often Exhibits Strong Blue or Purple Fluorescence Under UV Light
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary, Industrial
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Limestone Cavities
- Typical price
- $10-100 thumbnail, $50-500 cabinet specimen
Where rockhounds find purple fluorite
4 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, USA
- Rogerley Mine, England
- Asturias, Spain
- Naica, Mexico
- Dalnegorsk, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, limestone cavities country, the host setting where purple fluorite typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, calcite, barite 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 Georgia, Idaho, Illinois. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find purple fluorite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
