What Are the Uses of Fluorite & Gypsum?
druze of gypsum crystals image by Alexander Maksimov from Fotolia.com jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(‘#jsArticleStep1 span.image a:first’).attr(‘href’,’http://i.ehow.com/images/a06/g0/in/uses-fluorite-gypsum_-1.1-800X800.jpg’); }); Gypsum is the prime ingredient in plaster of Paris. Also called fluorspar because of its crystalline characteristics, fluorite is a mineral composed of the compound CaF2, or calcium fluoride. Appearing in a wide array of different colors, fluorite is considered one of the most popular and beautiful minerals in the world. Fluorite lends its name to the term fluorescence due to its ability to emit light when held under an ultraviolet light source. Fluorite also exhibits the properties of thermoluminescence. That is, the mineral emits light when heated. Oftentimes taking the shape of a brain or piece of coral, the mineral gypsum is a hydrated form of calcium sulfate, otherwise known as calcium sulfate dihydrate or CaSO4:2H2O. Gypsum was formed in the
