Fluorite has a fairly typical twin that combines two individual crystals interpenetrating ideally with 18 inside corners (photo in largin). It also calls fluorite twin law. This form is abundantly found on the Weardale English deposits where almost all the crystals are twinned.
We can also note one second twin much less common for fluorine and harder to see : the spinel twin law. It is characterized by a relatively flat crystals. It occurs in Naica deposits, Peru and sometimes on pakistani pink fluorites.
The "Frenkel defect" is the name usually given by mineral collectors to a special coloring that follows the direction of a large diagonal of a fluorite cube (green on the left photo of the sample that comes from the La Barre Mine in Puy-de-Dôme, France), whose most spectacular observation is perpendicular to one side of the cube.
In order to have more informations about this relatively rare color area we invite you to read our article on the subject here :
Frenkel defect of fluorites - Tribulations
Common scams around fluorite often result in assemblies made with Pakistani pink fluorite. These fluorites are naturally and abundantly associated with centimeter size muscovites in pegmatites, it is common that octahedrons fragments are literally glued on muscovite pieces. Pakistani often use muscovites crystals to hide parts of the broken fluorite crystal. Renderings are very realistic, without careful observation these assemblies can be easily overlooked...
We can also highlight that the fluorites are often oiled to improve their visual appearance and hide small impacts. This treatment is applied to 95% of China's fluorites and many fluorites from Valzergues. This treatment is very common and reversible. It is possible to remove the greases with an acetone bath and water with detergent. However you should check before that the sample does not repair because glues are usually soluble in acetone. Much rarer, some large collection pieces were vacuum injected with oil (same treatment as emeralds) to hide the cleavage planes, without magnification it is impossible to distinguish this treatment.
Hardness : 4
Density : 3,18
Fracture : Irregular to sub-conchoidale
Trace : White
TP : Transparent to translucent
RI : 1,433 to 1,435
Birefringence : 0
Optical character : None
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : Really common
Solubility : Hydrochloric acid, decomposes in sulfuric acid
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None