Description
On the Mohs Scale, you’ll find Calcite as the defining mineral for a hardness of 3, while Fluorite is the defining mineral for a hardness of 4. Calcite has a specific gravity of 2.7, while Fluorite has a specific gravity of 3.175.
“Calcite” is an “ancient name” according to Mindat, as it was “named as a mineral by Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the elder) in 79 from Calx, Latin for Lime.”
According to Wikipedia, “the word fluorite is derived from the Latin verb fluere, meaning to flow. The mineral is used as a flux in iron smelting to decrease the viscosity of slag and was first discussed in print in a 1530 work Bermannvs sive de re metallica dialogus [Bermannus; or dialogue about the nature of metals], by Georgius Agricola, as a mineral noted for its usefulness as a flux.”
Both Calcite and Fluorite make for great samples for element collectors looking for Calcium and Fluorine, and both are very common minerals found all over the world, but rarely will you find them together in such a beautiful appearance! While the Humming Bird Mine is better known for the Amethyst it produces, there are still some really cool mineral specimens!
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