Fluorite, Belgium

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Fluorite
CaF2 Isometric

Fluorite from Belgium

Fluorite from Ave-et-Auffe	© Harjo

Fluorite is quite a common mineral in Belgium. The Devonian Limestone of the Fagne/Famenne has yielded many fine specimens over the years, especially the region called the "Calestienne" (a part of the Fagne/Famenne to the left and right of the river Meuse, roughly between the villages of Rochefort, Couvin and Tellin). Extensive Fluorite mining has been undertaken in the past, the Fluorite was being mined for use as a flux in the metal processing plants of Liege and Charleroi. Many old mines and dumps still litter the Calestienne region.


Fluorite
Belgium
Namur Province, Rochefort, Ave-et-Auffe, Limites Quarry

6x4,5cm	© Harjo

7x10cm	© Harjo

FOV 5,5cm	© Harjo

FOV 1cm	© Harjo

In 2006 we were able to do a large find of very good quality Fluorite specimens in the Limites Quarry.
The Fluorite occurs together with Calcite and occasionally Baryte and is sometimes overgrown with shiny Marcasite crystals.
Simple cubes dominate the Fluorite in the quarry although the tetrahexahedron is also quite common.
The colours of the Fluorites encountered have ranged from dark purple, pink and yellow but also often yellow with pink interior or colourless with a pink or yellow interior.
The quarry (Lafarge group) exploits Devonian Limestone for gravel and concrete, no collecting is allowed in the quarry.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]


Fluorite
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Wellin, Fond des Vaulx Quarry

15x12cm crystal 2cm	© Harjo

FOV 1cm	© Harjo

Fond des Vaulx quarry is situated about 1 km from Limites quarry, the mineralisation is the same for both quarries.
Like its neighbour Fond des Vaulx quarry produces gravel and concrete.
The most beautiful Fluorite specimens encountered in the quarry are the ones where dark purple Fluorite cubes sit on salmon pink saddle shaped Dolomite crystals accompanied by small clear Quartz crystals.
Especially during 2005 and 2006 these Dolomite veins could be encountered.
Colours observed in Fluorite from Fond des Vaulx are purple, pink and yellow.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]


Fluorite
Belgium
Namur Province, Rochefort, Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, E411 road cut

FOV 6,4x4,8cm	© JDehove

FOV 2cm	© JDehove

During the construction of the E411 highway a zone in Devonian Limestone was cut that was very rich in Calcite veins holding very beautiful purple Fluorite crystals up to 2,5 cm large, sometimes in large groups on splendid specimens.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]


Fluorite
Belgium
Namur Province, Rochefort, Ave-et-Auffe, Roptai forest, Baryte mine

FOV 7cm	© Leon Hupperichs

FOV 0,6cm	©

Baryte-Fluorite-Galenite vein in Givetian limestone (Frommelennes formation).
The vein has been worked intermittently from 1827 until 1949 [Michel Blondieau, Recherches Minieres, mines et carrieres de famenne, 1997], several remains of the mining activity are still visible, among others a deep incline shaft (70m) and vast dumps.
Fluorite typically occurs in two generations. The first generation Fluorites are colourless and very transparent. They show very interesting and pretty truncated edges. The second generation Fluorites are larger (up to 1,5cm), show a simple cube and are yellow, sometimes with purple edges. Occasionally purple Fluorite crystals occur but most of the purple Fluorite is massive.
Large plates covered with Fluorite have been found, the best ones were recovered from in-situ veins. [Harjo Neutkens 2010]


Fluorite
Belgium
Namur Province, Rochefort, Han-sur-Lesse, Turmont

FOV 5cm	© Harjo

3,2x2,4cm	© Jose Dehove

Outcrop near the famous caves of Han-sur-Lesse where Fluorite occurs in vugs lined with clear Quartz crystals.
The dominant form is the cube but the most coveted are rombendodecahedrons beveling the edges of the cube (personal info Eric Vercammen).
Colours encountered are purple, pink, blue, green and yellow. Opportunities for finding nice Fluorite are still quite good today.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]


Fluorite
Belgium
Hainaut (Henegouwen; Hennegau) Province, Charleroi, Mont-sur-Marchienne, Gralex Quarry

8cm	© jdehaye

FOV 0,6cm	© Jose Dehove

The now closed Gralex quarry near Mont-sur-Marchienne is mainly known for excellent Calcite specimens. Less frequent were finds of fine Fluorite specimens. Especially interesting were the variety of forms encountered. The crystals are usually quite small (mostly < 1cm) but attractive specimens were found displaying several Fluorite crystals sett in Calcite lined vugs.
[Harjo Neutkens 2009]


Fluorite
Belgium
Namur Province, Andenne, Seilles

8,5x6cm	© Paul De Bondt

6,6cm	© Paul De Bondt

The Limestone quarry near the village of Seilles, close to the town of Namur delivered spectacular Fluorite specimens during the 1960s and 70s. They show very intense colour and beautiful colour zoning where blue was the most common and red the rarest (info Paul de Bondt). Most of the crystals came out of mud filled cracks as heavily etched floater crystals. The zone containing the Fluorites has long since disappeared.


[Harjo Neutkens 2009]



Click here to view Best Minerals Fluorite and here for Best Minerals F and here for Best Minerals A to Z and here for Fast Navigation of completed Best Minerals articles.



Edited 56 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2012 02:06PM by Harjo Neutkens.

Harjo,
Imagine my surprise when I opened the new Fluorite, Belgium thread. Good work. I have a friend close by that is a bit like you. Not musically inclined, but he has been a field collector all his life and has never sold much and has some things in his collection that are hard to believe. He had a job that took him all over the western United States working at race tracks and left him living near them for a month or two at a time and three to four days a week off to chase minerals in that area. We spent a wonderfully summer one year digging amazonite with a piece of heavy equipment in the beautiful pine forest near Crystal Peak in Colorado. Something I will never forget.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

"Outcrop near the famous caves of Han-sur-Lesse where Fluorite occurs in vugs lined with clear Quartz crystals.
The dominant form is the cube but the most coveted are "aztec style" stepped octahedrons modified by the cube"

These aren't octahedrons, but rombendodecahedrons beveling the edges of the cube.

Eric, thanks, I've changed it.

Salut

Harjo

Updated with photos by Jose Dehove, thanks Jose!