Fluorine minerals

Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is the mineral form of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It belongs to the halide minerals. It crystallizes in isometric cubic habit, although octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon.

Cryolite (Na3AlF6, sodium hexafluoroaluminate) is a rare mineral identified with the once-large deposit at Ivittuut on the southwest coast of Greenland, mined commercially until 1987.

The name apophyllite refers to a specific group of phyllosilicates, a class of minerals. Originally, the group name referred to a specific mineral, but was redefined in 1978 to stand for a class of minerals of similar chemical makeup that comprise a solid solution series, and includes the members fluorapophyllite-(K), fluorapophyllite-(Na), hydroxyapophyllite-(K). The name apophyllite is derived from the Greek (), meaning 'it flakes off', a reference to this class's tendency to flake apart when heated, due to water loss. Exfoliation of apophyllite is also possible by treating it with acids or

Wavellite is an aluminium basic phosphate mineral with formula Al3(PO4)2(OH, F)3·5H2O. Distinct crystals are rare, and it normally occurs as translucent green radial or spherical clusters.

The mineral bastnäsite (or bastnaesite) is one of a family of three fluorocarbonate minerals, which includes bastnäsite-(Ce) with a formula of (Ce, La)CO3F, bastnäsite-(La) with a formula of (La, Ce)CO3F, and bastnäsite-(Y) with a formula of (Y, Ce)CO3F. Some of the bastnäsites contain OH− instead of F− and receive the name of hydroxylbastnasite. Most bastnäsite is bastnäsite-(Ce), and cerium is by far the most common of the rare earths in this class of minerals. Bastnäsite and the phosphate mineral monazite are the two largest sources of cerium and other rare-earth elements.

Villiaumite is a rare halide mineral composed of sodium fluoride, NaF. It is very soluble in water and some specimens fluoresce under long and short wave ultraviolet light. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 and is usually red, pink, or orange in color. It is toxic to humans.

Creedite is a calcium aluminium sulfate fluoro hydroxide mineral with formula: Ca3Al2SO4(F,OH)10·2(H2O). Creedite forms colorless to white to purple monoclinic prismatic crystals. It often occurs as acicular radiating sprays of fine prisms. It is translucent to transparent with indices of refraction of nα = 1.461 nβ = 1.478 nγ = 1.485. It has a Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4 and a specific gravity of 2.7.

Agrellite () is a rare triclinic inosilicate mineral with four-periodic single chains of silica tetrahedra.

Acuminite is a rare halide mineral with chemical formula: SrAlF4(OH)·(H2O). Its name comes from the Latin word acumen, meaning "spear point". Its Mohs scale rating is 3.5.

Leucophanite is an inosilicate mineral with the chemical formula . It may contain cerium substituting in the calcium position.

Herderite is a phosphate mineral belonging to the apatite, phosphate group, with formula CaBe(PO4)(F,OH). It forms monoclinic crystals, often twinned and variable in colour from colourless through yellow to green. It forms a series with the more common hydroxylherderite, which has more hydroxyl ion than fluoride.

Sellaite is a magnesium fluoride mineral with the formula MgF2. It crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system, typically as clear to white vitreous prisms. It may be fibrous and occur as radiating aggregates. It has a Mohs hardness of 5 to 6 and a specific gravity of 2.97 to 3.15. Refractive index values are nω = 1.378 and nε = 1.390.

Fluorapatite, often with the alternate spelling of fluoroapatite, is a phosphate mineral with the formula Ca5(PO4)3F (calcium fluorophosphate). Fluorapatite is a hard crystalline solid. Although samples can have various colors (green, brown, blue, yellow, violet, or colorless), the pure mineral is colorless, as expected for a material lacking transition metals. Along with hydroxylapatite, it can be a component of tooth enamel, especially in individuals who use fluoridated toothpaste, but for industrial use both minerals are mined in the form of phosphate rock, whose usual mineral composition i

Bultfonteinite, originally dutoitspanite, is a pink, light-brown or colorless mineral with chemical formula Ca2SiO2(OH,F)4. It was discovered in 1903 or 1904 in the Bultfontein mine in South Africa, for which the mineral is named, and described in 1932.

Wagnerite is a mineral, a combined phosphate and fluoride of iron and magnesium, with the formula . It occurs in pegmatite associated with other phosphate minerals. It is named after Franz Michael von Wagner (1768–1851), a German mining official in Munich.

Bararite is a natural form of ammonium fluorosilicate (also known as hexafluorosilicate or fluosilicate). It has chemical formula (NH4)2SiF6 and trigonal crystal structure. This mineral was once classified as part of cryptohalite. Bararite is named after the place where it was first described, Barari in Jharia Coal Field, Dhanbad, India. It is found at the fumaroles of volcanoes (Vesuvius, Italy), over burning coal seams (Barari, India), and in burning piles of anthracite (Pennsylvania, U.S.). It is a sublimation product that forms with cryptohalite, sal ammoniac, and native sulfur.

Kogarkoite is a sodium sulfate fluoride mineral with formula Na3(SO4)F. It has a pale blue color, a specific gravity of about 2.67 and a hardness of 3.5. The crystal is monoclinic and is a type of naturally occurring antiperovskite. Kogarkoite is named after the Russian petrologist Lia Nikolaevna Kogarko (born 1936) who discovered the mineral.

Thomsenolite is a mineral with formula: NaCaAlF6·H2O. It is an alteration product of cryolite.

Carobbiite, chemical formula KF (potassium fluoride), is a rare, soft (Mohs 2 - 2.5), colourless cubic mineral. It is found at Monte Somma, Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Province of Naples, Campania, Italy. It was discovered in 1956 by Italian geologist Guido Carobbi (1900–1983). It has also been reported from Hokkaido, Japan.

Fluororichterite is a rare amphibole with formula Na(NaCa)Mg5Si8O22F2.

Zavaritskite is a rare mineral of the halide class, bismuth oxyhalide with the chemical formula (BiO)F. It is named after the Soviet geologist and petrographer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Alexander Nikolaevich Zavaritsky. It was discovered in 1962 by Soviet scientists. Zavaritskite is part of matlockite group of minerals.

Sonolite is a mineral with formula Mn9(SiO4)4(OH,F)2. The mineral was discovered in 1960 in the Sono mine in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. In 1963, it was identified as a new mineral and named after the Sono mine.

Arsenuranospathite (IMA symbol: Aush) is a rare mineral with the chemical formula Al(UO2)2(AsO4)2F·20H2O. The name "arsenuranospathite" as arsenate analog of uranospathite was first used by Walenta (1963) with reference to a uranyl-arsenate mineral from Black Forest (Schwarzwald) massif, Germany. thumb|Arsenuranospathite Later it was undoubtedly demonstrated that the name arsenuranospathite was applied, at least, to two different species – proper arsenuranospathite, ideally Al(UO2)2(AsO4)2F·20H2O, orthorhombic, and its partially dehydrated analogue, Al(UO2)2(AsO4)2F·nH2O (n = 8–10), tetragonal

Artroeite (PbAlF3(OH)2) is a mineral found in Arizona. It is named for the late American chemist Arthur Roe (1912–1993).

Tilasite is an arsenate mineral gemstone, with the elemental formula CaMg(AsO4)F. It prefers the monoclinic form of crystal, and has Mohs hardness of 5. It was named in 1895 by Hjalmar Sjögren in honor of Daniel Tilas, who was once director of mines for Sweden, and a regional governor for Västmanland. It was first discovered in Langban, Varmland.

Neighborite is a mineral composed of a double fluoride salt of sodium and magnesium. It was initially recognized as pink and brown masses of round grains in the Green River Formation South of Ouray, Utah. Originally found in dark dolomitic oil shales, neighborite typically forms as subrounded or octahedral crystals. Neighborite received its name from Frank Neighbor, a geologist for the Sun Oil Co. based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Due to Mr. Neighbor's work in discovering neighborite, along with other newly discovered minerals to the Green River Formation, the mineral was named after him. Neighbo

Svabite is an arsenate mineral. The mineral is rare and is also a member of the apatite group. It is isomorphous with apatite and mimetite.

Fluorcaphite is a mineral with the chemical formula . It is found in the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Its crystals are hexagonal (dipyramidal class) and are transparent with a vitreous luster. It is light to bright yellow, leaves a white streak and is rated five on the Mohs Scale. Fluorcaphite is radioactive.

Håleniusite-(La), chemical formula . is a yellow isometric mineral. It has a dull, earthy lustre. The geological setting of håleniusite-(La) is in vugs and leaching zones of massive ferriallanite-(Ce), intimately intergrown with cerite-(Ce) and bastnäsite-(La).

Albrechtschraufite (IMA symbol: Asf) is a very rare complex hydrated calcium and magnesium-bearing uranyl fluoride carbonate mineral with formula Ca4Mg(UO2)2(CO3)6F2·17H2O. Its molar weight is 1,428.98 g, color yellow-green, streak white, density 2.6 g/cm3, Mohs hardness 2–3, and luster is vitreous (glassy). It is named after Albrecht Schrauf (1837–1897), Professor of Mineralogy, University of Vienna. Its type locality is Jáchymov, Jáchymov District, Krušné Hory Mountains, Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Rosenbergite is a mineral with the chemical formula AlF3·3H2O. It is a trihydrate of aluminium fluoride.

Fluoro-edenite is a rare amphibole mineral that contains sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, silicon, oxygen and fluorine. It belongs to the same family as the more common mineral edenite but has fluorine as a key component. Fluoro-edenite was first discovered in volcanic rocks near the town of Biancavilla on the south-western flank of Mount Etna in Sicily. It has since been reported in smaller amounts in other locations.

Kukharenkoite-(Ce) is a barium cerium fluoride carbonate mineral, formula Ba2CeF(CO3)3. It was identified from samples found in the Mont-Saint-Hilaire alkaline intrusive complex, Quebec, and the Khibiny Massif, Kola peninsula, Russia. It was named for Russian mineralogist Alexander A. Kukharenko (1914–1993).

Frankdicksonite is a halide mineral with the chemical formula BaF2 which corresponds to the chemical compound barium fluoride. It occurs in the Carlin gold deposit of Eureka County, Nevada as cubic crystals sized between 0.1 and 4 mm, and is of hydrothermal origin. Its only associated mineral is quartz and the frankdicksonite crystals are always completely encapsulated in it. Frankdicksonite has fluorite crystal structure with a cubic symmetry and the lattice constant a = 619.64 pm. Its Vickers hardness on the {111} cleavage crystal faces varies between 88 and 94 kg/mm2 and is close

Gananite () is a rare bismuth fluoride mineral form of bismuth trifluoride with a general formula of BiF3. Gananite is an isotropic mineral that belongs to the space group P43m. This means that gananite does not show any colors in cross polarized light, because when polarized light passes through it, it does not split into two perpendicular rays. In other words, because gananite is an isometric mineral, it does not exhibit double refraction. Moreover, this tells us that this mineral is not birefringent. Its color in plane-polarized light is blackish-brown, and it does not show pleochroism.

Zharchikhite is a halide mineral, a hydroxyl fluoride of aluminium; formula AlF(OH)2. It forms colourless, transparent crystals. Discovered in 1968, it is named after its original locality, the Zharchinskoya Deposit, which is in Buryatia, Russia.

Gagarinite-(Ce) previously zajacite-(Ce) is a rare radioactive fluoride mineral with formula Na(REExCa1−x)(REEyCa1−y)F6. REE refers to rare-earth elements, mostly those belonging to the lanthanide series. It crystallizes in the trigonal rhombohedral system and has a white vitreous appearance with a conchoidal fracture. It has a Mohs hardness of 3.5 and a specific gravity of 4.44 to 4.55. Zajacite is transparent with refractive indices nω = 1.483 and nε = 1.503. Gagarinite-(Y) is a yttrium-rich analog.

Fluorwavellite is a rare phosphate mineral with formula Al3(PO4)2(OH)2F•5H2O. As suggested by its name, it is a fluorine-analogue of wavellite (hence its name), a rather common phosphate mineral. Chemically similar aluminium fluoride phosphate minerals include fluellite, kingite and mitryaevaite.