Fluorite-26

A rare purple Fluorite from the Moscona Mine, Asturias, Spain.

Unlike the usual yellow crystals from this locality, this specimen displays a rich purple hue throughout. The contrast with the white Dolomite adds an elegant touch. The piece is in good condition and represents an uncommon color variety from this famous Spanish deposit. 9.0 x 7.5 x 6.3 cm

• Purple fluorite — typically comes from color centers (F-centers, i.e. missing F⁻ ions with trapped electrons) and/or substitution by certain rare-earth ions (or their interaction with natural radiation). Those defects/impurities absorb different parts of the spectrum and produce violet/purple hues. Creating those color centers usually needs either local irradiation (near U/Th traces) or the presence of the specific trace elements — conditions that are only present in a few Moscona pockets, so purple is rare there.