The legend of fluorite

There is an old legend about fluorite. On a hill in ancient India, locals found a particularly large population of cobras, which often congregated around a boulder. The curious people decided to find out.

When they reached the top of the mountain in the dark, they found that the huge rock emitted a faint blue light. The phototaxis make flying insects swoop down on the rocks, becoming a delicacy for the long-waiting frogs, and the frogs' regiments attract the cobra. Originally, snakes gather here to defend the stone to the frog. This stone is fluorite.

Fluorite is the only mineral that can refine a lot of fluorine. It is also used as a solvent to remove impurities in steelmaking. There is a great demand for fluorite in optical field. Its synthetic crystals can be grown into a variety of special lenses. The mineral is also used in the production of partial types of glass and enamel.

Fluorite is called "the most colorful gem in the world" because of its bright color and flawless crystal. But because of its low hardness, it is usually not used as jewelry. But because fluorite is soft, it is relatively easy to sculpt ornaments when crystals are large enough. The mineral is very popular with ore collectors. In particular, some good - looking specimens can have high prices.