Fluorite
Found worldwide, this calcium fluoride has the widest color range of any mineral and sometimes exhibits several colors in the same specimen. It forms as cubes, octahedrons, massive granular, or compact. The name fluorite is derived from the Latin fluere, meaning “to flow”, a reference to the ease with which it melts, when used as a flux in the smelting and refining of metals. Industrially, fluorite is used in the manufacture of steel, in the production of hydrofluoric acid, and as a catalyst in the manufacture of high-octane fuels. Fluorite is also used in the formation of opalescent glass. Famous deposits are found in USA, China, Mexico, Canada, Spain, & England.
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