Fluorite

China is the world’s largest producer of tungsten and also has the largest tungsten resources. More than 90% of the Chinese tungsten resources are in the Nanling region, South China, and the Yaogangxian deposit is the largest tungsten deposit of this region.

Quartz-vein-type wolframite and skarn-type scheelite ore bodies were exposed in YGX. Fluorite, one of the most common and important gangue minerals in both minerallizations. These ore minerals are enriched by the high degree of fractionation of magma.

Interestingly, the presence of phosphorus/fluorine in a tungsten-bearing hydrothermal fluid may

prevent the deposition of scheelite due to the formation of apatite/fluorite, or lead to the dissolution of scheelite and, in turn, enrich the fluid in tungsten. Previous studies suggested that during high-temperature alteration, and form high-grade deposits of ferberite on cooling, or of scheelite because of their interaction with calcium-enriched rocks.

However, there are many specimens that have fluorite associated with schellite being found in the skarn may indicate a multi-stage minerallization with schellite or fluorite preciptating at different time. Phantom fluorites are commonly found may also indicate different fluid passed by across ore-forming period. Moreover, limited F in the fluid with abundance of Ca can precipitate schellite with zoned fluorite in the same fluid.

This is a complete, floater cubes with fantastic color that I purchased last Spring. The white inclusion is dolomite. Hard to get complete specimens from this mine due to the blasting miming.

Fluorite, 3cm, Yaogangxian Mine, Yaogangxian W-Sn ore field, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Jingnan (Tom) Zhang Coll & Photo