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 — that is 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.
