I’ve been carrying around a piece of rainbow fluorite with me for the last few days so I thought I would take the chance to write about it! 
I don’t have a particular reason of why I’ve been carrying it around, to be honest. I just felt like it would be a good idea.
What is Fluorite?
From Spells8
According to Geology.com, fluorite is a mineral made up of calcium and fluorine. It has many uses outside of being a beautiful gemstone for us witchy people including chemical, metallurgical, and ceramic processes.
Fluorite is deposited in veins by hydrothermal processes. In these rocks it often occurs as a gangue mineral associated with metallic ores. Fluorite is also found in the fractures and cavities of some limestones and dolomites. It is a very common rock-forming mineral found in many parts of the world. In the mining industry, fluorite is often called “fluorspar.” Geology.com
Physical Properties of Fluorite
Looking at the same source as above, fluorite has a few noticeable physical properties that make it easy to identify.
First, it is the “only common mineral that has four directions of perfect cleavage.” (1) This means that when the mineral is broken, it tends to break on planes (flat surfaces) rather than fracture on curves (2). I know, I had to look that up, too!
Second, on the Mohs Hardness Scale, fluorite comes in at a four. It is actually the mineral used to gauge other minerals against at the four level. To put that in perspective, quartz comes in at a seven on the Mohs Hardness Scale. The lower the number, the “softer” the mineral. This means that you should probably not put fluorite in water for longer periods of time. A quick rinse might be okay, but definitely don’t soak it!
Lastly, fluorite has a specific gravity of 3.2 (1) – this means that fluorite is 3.2 times heavier than the same volume of water. Knowing the specific gravity of different minerals can help you identify them if you are ever unsure.
Although color is not a reliable property for mineral identification, the characteristic purple, green, and yellow translucent-to-transparent appearance of fluorite is an immediate visual clue for the mineral. (1)
Fluorite also goes by many other names, including but not limited to the following list:
- Androdamant
- Bruiachite
- Cand
- Chrome-Fluorite
- Crimson Night Stone
- Derbyshire Spar
- Flourite
- Fluate of Lime
- Fluor
- Fluorbaryte
- Fluores
- Fluoride of Calcium
- Fluorspar
- Fluor Spar
- Flusse
- Kand
- Liparite (of Glocker)
- Lithophosphorus Suhlensis
- Murrhina
- Tanzanite fluorite
- Honey Spar (in part)
How is Fluorite Mined?
One thing I try to be aware of is how the minerals and crystals I use or buy are obtained. Are they obtained in an ethical manner? What even is ethical when it comes to mining? Are the workers paid a fair wage? Are they treated well? And honestly? I have never looked at the mining practices for fluorite, where it comes from, and how those people are treated as well as how those communities are affected. This information can be really hard to come by so I will do my best.
According to one source on Wikipedia, the fluorite is found in South Africa, China, Mexico, Mongolia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Tanzania, Rwanda and Argentina. (6) This same source also says that China is the leading producer of fluorite at about three metric tons a year. However, the largest deposit of fluorite is in South Africa.
In doing a bit more digging (
pun totally intended) I found that South Africa has rules and regulations in place for the health and safety of the people that work in minds. You can read more about that here! China also has health and safety regulations in place and information about their practices can be found here!
Some countries are more difficult to find information on. However, if you obtain your fluorite from the United Kingdom, The United States, South Africa, China, and Canada, you can probably rest easy knowing that those countries have more ethical mining practices.
Now that I know where fluorite is, here is a bit of information I found about how fluorite is mined.
Vein Mining
Vein mining is commonly done by shrinkage stoping, cut-and-fill, and open stoping where strong walls occur. Closely spaced shrinkage stope bins may give way to widely spaced bins, with electric and air slushers being used in the tops of stopes to transport the overbreak to the ore pass. Air-operated, rubber-tired, muckhaul units can be adapted to in-stope work. Where shrinkage stoping is used, broken ore is commonly moved to the shaft by track haulage using battery-powered locomotives and 1- or 2-t side-dump cars. (9)
Room and Pillar Mining
In bedded deposits, room-and-pillar patterns are used, with the widths of rooms governed by roof conditions. Newer equipment has rubber tires and is diesel operated, including the muckhaul units—which have buckets ranging in size from 0.9- to 4.6-m3 capacity—and rubber-tired diesel trucks with 3- to 18-t capacity. Drilling is done by diesel-propelled jumbos in the bedded ore mines, but the jackleg drills are still used in narrower working places and drifts. In multileveled ore bodies, haulage ramps on 12% to 15% grades connect the levels. Vertical raises are used to facilitate ventilation requirements. (9)
I don’t know too much about different mining styles but it sounds like vein mining is down top-down whereas room and pillar mining is what I commonly think of when I think of mines → holes and tunnels in the ground. 
Spiritual Properties of Fluorite
As with most things in spiritual spaces, the properties of crystals are going to vary from source to source. The most common properties I was able to find include the following:
- Calming
- Supports productivity
- Supports inner harmony
- Helps tap into creativity and intuition
- Supports emotional health
- Chakra cleansing
- Support anxiety and depression
- Reduces stress
- Shows the truth
- Promotes objectivity and fair judgement
(10, 11, 12, 13)
We even have some information on fluorite here on Spells8 that I have been looking at.
Because it is one of the most colorful rocks that can be found, fluorite is thought to enhance and reflect personal light, intelligence, and is symbolic of psychic protection . Therefore, it is used to reduce envy and manipulative energies, and is believed to combat all forms of negative vibrations. → Spells8 Fluorite Crystal Activation
I can tell you from my own experience that when I carried this stone, I was able to have a difficult conversation with a family member that was needed. The conversation was productive and I was not as nervous or anxious as I probably would have been without it.
I guess I really did need the stone in that moment. My body and spirit knew it before I did!
Sources and Other Reading
(1) Geology.com - Fluorite
(2) Brooklyn College - Earth and Environmental Sciences - Minerals - Cleavage and Fracture
(3) How to Measure Specific Gravity of Minerals & Is It Important in Geology?
(4) Borealis Meditation S04E15 - Crystal Ethics - Extraction
(5) Borealis Meditation S04E16 - Being an Ethical Crystal Consumer
(6) Fluorite - Wikipedia
(7) Mining Laws and Regulations Report 2022 China
(8) Mining Laws and Regulations Report 2022 South Africa
(9) Minerals Education Coalition - Mining of Fluorite
(10) Rainbow Fluorite: Healing Properties, How To Use It + More | mindbodygreen
(11) The Chalkboard Mag - Rainbow Fluorite
(12) Fluorite Crystal: Meaning & Healing Properties
(13) Healing Properties of Rainbow Fluorite: A Crystal for Clarity & Intuition - Love & Light School of Crystal Therapy
→ Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE- Heed the Call of Crystals
→ 
Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Catch-Up!
It’s been surprisingly helpful 
)
thank you for sharing your answer with me! I don’t usually carry stones with me but my fluorite has been begging for some attention. It seems to be helping me though!
so perfect.