Fluorite

Fluorite carvings, bowls and other lapidary objects

The fluorite bowls, carvings and other lapidary items we carry are from fluorite that is currently being mined mostly in Hunan Province China and are made from high quality multicolored banded fluorite. There has never been this quality and quantity of fluorite lapidary objects offered for sale before. Lapidary objects have been cut from fluorite for hundreds of years, probably most notably before the advent of the Chinese production were the objects made in England that were made from “blue john” fluorite.

Here is what Wikipedia says about these well known lapidary objects: “One of the most famous of the older-known localities of fluorite is Castleton in Derbyshire, England, under the name of Derbyshire Blue John, purple-blue fluorite was extracted from several mines or caves, including the famous Blue John Cavern. During the 19^th century this attractive fluorite was mined for its ornamental value. The name derives from the French “bleu et jaune” (blue and yellow) characterizing its color. The mineral blue john is now scarce and only a few hundred kilograms are mined each year for ornamental and lapidary use. Mining still takes place in both the Blue John Cavern and the nearby Treak Cliff Cavern.

The difference between this historical “blue john” and the new Chinese fluorite is that the blue john is typically a sort of purple and yellow banded material and the Chinese fluorite is typically blue and green banded material. Most people consider the new Chinese fluorite items to be more attractive not only because of their color but also because they are at least ten times cheaper than blue john items and much more available. In the years to come undoubtedly the items made from this Chinese fluorite will become as cherished and revered at their antique British cousins.

It is hard to know at this temporal remove from the hey day of the British blue john fluorite industry how large it was compared to what is currently going on in the Chinese Lapidary factories today, but I was forced to estimate their relative production I would estimate that the Chinese are producing about ten times more fluorite items than were ever produced in England.

Items we carry made from Fluorite include:

Fluorite Bowls