Fluorite – Berbes, Asturias, Spain

Fluorites from Spain are characterised by their intense colours, especially purple, green, yellow and blue, sometimes with multiple colours. They often occur in the form of perfect cubic or octahedral crystals, which may be transparent to semi-transparent. Spain is home to several world-famous fluorite localities, notably:

• Asturias (Berbes and La Collada) - Fluorites from this region are known for their deep purple and pink colour and high degree of transparency. The crystals here often reach a distinctive quality and size.

• Cantabria (Mina La Viesca, Villabona) - They are distinguished by their intense purple and blue colour with wonderful transparency and lustre.

• La Collada - Produces beautiful yellow, greenish but also blue or purple fluorite crystals, often in conjunction with quartz or barite.

Attractions

• Fluorites from Spain often exhibit zonal colouration where different shades are intermixed in a single crystal.

• The fluorescence in some specimens is very pronounced, often with a blue or purple tint.

• Due to the transparency and crystal perfection, some specimens are comparable to the best fluorites from the USA or China.