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Fluorite from the Greenbank vein, Rogerley mine, showing a pale green core, overgrown by yellow fluorite, followed by a layer of crystalline quartz and a final surficial layer of purple fluorite. Properties of Fluorite from the North Pennines Although the North Pennines Orefield has produced a wealth of minerals through the years, it is fluorite that has made the region famous with collectors because of the well-developed and generally colorful specimens occurring in cavities in the veins and flats in many of the mines. For example, green fluorite from the Rogerley mine will sometimes contain asymmetrical zones of pale yellow, and a cavity found in the Blackdene mine during the 1960s yielded yellow fluorite crystals with bright green cores. A transparent penetration-twinned fluorite crystal, 2.6 cm on edge, surrounded by numerous smaller, untwinned fluorite crystals showing "white centers", 8 × 6 × 4 cm, from the Hilton mine, Scordale, Cumbria. A twinned amber-colored fluorite crystal surrounded by smaller fluorites on ironstone matrix, 8 × 5 × 3 cm, fromthe Seata mine, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. [Extracted from the article]

At a hardness of 4 on the Mohs scale, with an easily developed octahedral cleavage, fluorite is not ideal for daily worn jewelry, but it can make for very fine pieces worn on special occasions. Fluorites displayed in their original gem case from the Dr. Edward J. Gubelin collection. [Extracted from the article]

PHOTO (COLOR) B That really friendly fluorite guy b in his signature striped jersey, who exhibits at the Tucson and Cincinnati shows and faithfully attends the Dallas Mineral Symposium, is Jim Gebel (pronounced "gable"). Consequently, in 2007 he decided to specialize and initially chose three foci: fluorite, quartz, and southern Illinois fluorspar district minerals. Gebel is now a master mineral collector and a true fluorite enthusiast who has built a collection that would be the pride of any museum. Zoned blue fluorite cube on fluorite (7.8 cm high), Minerva No. 1 mine, Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois. [Extracted from the article]

The article features the Cookes Peak Mining District in Luna County, New Mexico which has been part of a long history of silver-lead-zinc mining in the southern region. It mentions that the peak has produced more than sixty valid mineral species such as fluorite and the extremely rare hydrated molybdenum oxide sidwillite. Among other things, the Cookes Range was named after Captain Philip St. George Cooke who is the commander of the Mormon Battalion.

The article focuses on the mineralization, particularly flourite, in the Findlay Arch mineral district in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. It relates the author's experience of being a mineral collector who visited the said places. It discusses various minerals that have been preserved from different mining sites for the purpose of research. The author suggests that collectors should value crystals from the said district by the quality of each crystal.

The article focuses on the blue fluorites from France. It offers a guide for a collector who is not fully familiar with French mineralogy and an aide for recognizing rock specimens that he or she is likely to see and perhaps acquire. Topics include geology of French fluorite occurrences, the history of fluorites, and origins of the blue color.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including blue fluorites, hackmanite collection, and an award received by Dr. David London.

The article discusses gem diamonds and precious stones highlighted at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Topics discussed include an evaluation of diamond's properties, a comparison between diamonds and noble metals, and reasons why collectors become interested in diamonds. A Pakistani aquamarine and a Spanish fluorite are reviewed as well.

The article focuses on the liddicoatite, fluor-liddicoatite and liddicoatic tourmalines in the Anjanabonoina District of Madagascar. According to the author, the locality of Anjanabonoina has produced excellent crystals that are ideal for the manufacture of sets of thin polished slices showing progressively developed color zoning when cut perpendicular or parallel to the c-axis.

The author reflects on fluorite specimens collected from European, African, and Asian regions. Several specimens describes in the article include yellow cubes of fluorite collected from Spain, a pink octahedral fluorite found in France, and a large purple fluorite showing octahedral and cube faces from Poland.

Photographs of several rocks and minerals by mineral photographer Jeffrey A. Scovil are presented including ferroaxinite, halite, and fluorite.

The article offers information on the exhibition of various minerals at the museum, Krugerhaus in Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Several minerals that are on display in the museum include pyrargyrite, silver, fluorite, and erythrite. The properties of these specimens have also been described in the article.

The article offers information on specimen-quality fluorite found in Mexico. Mexican fluorspar occurs in various deposit types which span a range from low-temperature Mississippi Valley-type deposits (MVT) through intermediate-temperature epithermal silver-gold-lead-zinc-copper veins to high-temperature silver-lead-zinc-copper-gold carbonate replacement deposits and skarns. Photographs of Mexican fluorite are provided.

The article offers information about fluorite, a late-stage mineral in pegmatite cavities. Fluorite forms a colorful and attractive icing on the crystals of beryl, topaz, and tourmaline, noting that a purple or green cube of fluorite enhances the common minerals of microcline, bladed albite, and smoky quartz. A chart is presented depicting pegmatitic fluorite localities with major references describing the localities and geology.

The article presents several photographs of Robert Brandstetter's fluorite collection, which are displayed at his home in Warth, Austria.

The article discusses the Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) deposit, one of the most important geologic occurrences of fine fluorite specimens originated in the Mississippi River. It details the geology and geochemistry of MVT ore deposits. It mentions that MTV deposits are epigenetic, occurs in clusters and are associated with sedimentary basins. It notes abundant minerals in MVTs including the sphalerite, marcasite and dolomite. It also details well known specimen locations from 1900-1980.

A diary is presented which explores the author's experience of recovering a large fluorite specimen from the Rogerley mine, which is located in the Weardale region in County Durham, England in July 2012.

The article discusses the occurrences of fluorite in the Southeastern U.S. It mentions occurrences of a 2-cm fluorite crystal from the quarry of Bassett Stone Co. in Wayne County, Kentucky. It also mentions occurrences of dark purple fluorite from the Hale quarry in Catoosa County, Georgia and a 9-cm-wide group of pale green fluorite cubes from the Tungsten Queen mine in Vance County, North Carolina.

The article offers information about tennantite, as type of mineral which is a member of the tennantite group found in Tsumeb, Namibia. It states that tennantite is typical of most sulfides and sulfosalts and it has a steel-gray or iron-gray running to black color. It mentions that the said mineral is rarer and it occurs in geologic settings as varied as granitic tin-copper deposits and it is associated with various minerals including calcite, dolomite and fluorite.

Photographs of several minerals are presented including Elbaite, Fluorite, and Hematite are presented.

The article discusses the use of a flatbed scanner in mineral photography. It describes the proper procedures when capturing flat mineral specimen with emphasis on the use of high resolution scanner as well as a comparison between a camera and a scanner in terms of taking control over the lighting. Several photographs of specimens including Brazilian agate, unakite, and botryoidal purple fluorite are presented.

The article offers information on the different types of minerals found in Illinois localities. It describes the mineral specimens produced across the regions including the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in southern part, fluorspars in southeast corner, and geodes in west-central area. It mentions that there are deposits of glacial drift minerals including calcite, gold, and quartz across the state.

The article discusses the mineralogy in Silurian Lockport Group of New York. It says that the first documented appearance of fluorite in the U.S. was found in Niagara Falls as noted by Dr. Archibald Bruce. It adds that the interest in mineralogy began in the construction of Erie Canal in the city that exposes many beautiful specimens. It also states that Lockport Group takes part in the state's geology due to its excellent exposures to carbonate rocks along Niagara Escarpment.

The article examines the odd pointed fluorite crystals from Elmwood zinc mine in Smith County, western Tennessee. It discusses the characteristics of fluorite crystals with complex surface and which corners consist of gemmy, single unit fluorite not different from the caps of the floater points. Also included are photographs of various fluorites points.

Several letters to the editor are presented including one on the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (TGMS), another on the botryoidal fluorite in New Mexico, and one in response to article on the hemispheroidal fluorites from India by John White in the July/August 2008 issue.

The article features the Vergenoeg fluorite mine located in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. The mine is one of the biggest operating fluorite mines in the world. The mine produces 3.4% of the total annual world fluorspar and its two main products are acid-grade fluorspar and metallurgical fluorspar. It states that access to the mine is prohibited unless prior approval has been granted by the mine management.

The article examines the hemispherical fluorite found in the area around Ajanta, India. Some of the fluorites are spherical while other were kidney-shaped with colors ranges from honey to pale amethyst. It explains how fluorine in the basalts resulted to formation of the flourite. Other features of the fluorite are discussed.

The article presents the unpublished 2007 collection of photographs related to minerals by photographer Jeffrey A. Scovil. He presented the fluorite which is a 6.6 centimeter high that is a simple structure of the piece from China and the eight centimeter high elbaite crystals taken in Brazil. Moreover, among Scovil's collections of photographs includes the smithsonite, beryl variety aquamarine and the quartz variety amethyst on calcite.

The article features a variety of minerals found in Kentucky. The state is underlain by sedimentary rocks. Central Kentucky is the central fluorspar district. Veins containing barite, calcite, fluorite, and sphalerite can be found in the area. Minerals from noneconomic deposits of interest to collectors occur in pockets or rugs in limestone quarries. Kentucky also has deposits of bituminous coal. Coal exposures and mine dumps are sources for copiapite, goethite, halotrichite, limonite and pyrite.

The article presents information on the fluorite-producing mines in Canada. The fluorite deposits recovered at the Rock Candy Mine at Grand Forks is described. The reason behind the prohibited entry at the Vigilante and Kootenay Florence Mines at Ainsworth Hot Springs is cited. Description of the fluorite discovered at Highland Bell Mine at Beaverdell is provided.

Focuses on fluorite from the Xianghualing polymetallic ore field in Hunan Province, China. Description of Xianghualing mine; Description of the deposits found underground at both the Xianghualing and the Chashan/Xianghuapu mines; Information on the five major mines known to collectors for their fluorite specimens.

Provides information on fluorite mines in the Northern Pennines orefield in England. Reason many local lead mines cease production in the late nineteenth century; History of mining in the Northern Pennines; Geology and mineralogy of ore deposits in the Northern Pennines; Information on several mines in the Northern Pennines.

Presents information on the artichoke quartz cluster from the Shangbao pyrite mine in Hunan, China. Composition of the quartz; Speculated relationship between the pyrite, fluorite and quartz to the order of crystallization; Mysteries surrounding the formation of the quartz.

Examines known specimens of green fluorites from the Kettle mine, Ferry County, Washington State. Description of other fluorite localities in the region; Exploration of gold deposits in the Republic Garben by the joint venture of Echo Bay Minerals, Crown Resources Inc., and Texas Gold Inc.; Precipitation of gold and silver when hot springs interact with volcanic-hosted epithermal vein in Eocine Sanpoil volcanic rocks.

Features the Rogerley fluorite mine in Weardale, England. Mineral specimens in the area; Location and geography; History of mining in the area; Geology and mineralogy of ore deposits; Mining companies in the area.

Focuses on the most significant Colorado fluorite localities. History and description of the locality; Description of the fluorite habits and the associated mineral species found in the locality; Availability of specimens for the mineral collector; Sunnyside Mine, Gladstone, San Juan County; Ransom Mine, San Juan County; Genoa Claim, San Juan County; Camp Bird Mine, Ouray County; Thistledown Mine, Ouray County.