Formula: CaF2
Origin of name: From Latin for to flow
Crystal system: Cubic
Crystal class: 4/m -3 2/m
Twinning: Penetration on {111}; rarely by spinel law
Unit cell: a = 5.463 Ǻ
Colour: Colourless, purple, blue, green, yellow, white, pink, red, brown
Diaphaneity:
Luster: Vitreous
Habit: Crystals cubes or octahedrons, rarely dodecahedrons; massive, coarse to fine granular; botryoidal, fibrous
Hardness: 4
Specific gravity: 3.18
Cleavage: 1; {111} perfect
Tenacity: Subconchoidal to splintery; brittle
Streak:
Synonyms/varieties: Antozonite (dark purple var.), blue john (massive colour-banded var.), chlorophane (thermoluminescent var.), fusspat, yttrocerite (Ce, Y-rich var.)
Comments: Often fluoresces blue, yellow, white, reddish or pale violet, may thermoluminesce
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