Blue-Grey & Pale Green Fluorite | Wheal Mary Ann, Menheniot, Cornwall

A beautiful natural blue-grey and pale green fluorite specimen from Wheal Mary Ann, Menheniot, Cornwall, displaying an elongated crystalline formation, contrasting mineral colours and distinctive golden-orange iron staining.

Weighing 390g, this substantial Cornish mineral specimen features translucent pale green fluorite, smoky blue-grey crystalline sections and intricate interlocking crystal formations. Its unusual elongated structure and varied surface textures make it a particularly interesting addition to a British mineral collection.

Specimen Description

This striking specimen displays a naturally elongated, irregular formation with a beautiful combination of smoky blue-grey, translucent pale green, cream and honey-coloured fluorite.

One side features a prominent concentration of darker blue-grey fluorite, with angular crystalline surfaces and areas of greater opacity. These darker sections contrast beautifully against the lighter, more translucent mineral growth surrounding them.

The opposite side reveals extensive pale green and cream-coloured crystalline formations, including overlapping crystal faces, small natural cavities and reflective cleavage surfaces.

Several areas display an attractive glass-like translucency, allowing light to penetrate the mineral and highlight its internal fractures and variations in colour.

Scattered throughout the specimen are warm golden-orange and rusty-brown deposits, particularly noticeable along crystal boundaries, fractures and recessed areas. Their appearance is consistent with natural iron oxide or iron oxyhydroxide staining.

The mineral's irregular structure creates a particularly interesting display, with different faces revealing contrasting colours, crystal arrangements and levels of transparency.

Some sections contain larger, more defined angular fluorite formations, while others feature smaller interlocking crystals that create a textured, almost sparkling surface.

Measuring 52.5mm × 95.8mm, this specimen has a distinctive elongated profile, making it visually different from more compact fluorite formations.

Its combination of natural crystal growth, colour variation and Cornish locality makes it an attractive specimen for collectors interested in British fluorite and historic mining minerals.

About Fluorite

Fluorite (CaF₂) is a naturally occurring calcium fluoride mineral belonging to the halide mineral group.

It crystallises in the cubic, or isometric, crystal system and has a Mohs hardness of 4.

Fluorite is particularly admired for its remarkable range of natural colours, including purple, blue, green, yellow, grey, pink and colourless varieties.

Variations in colour may result from trace impurities, structural defects and the geological conditions present during mineral formation.

Fluorite commonly forms within hydrothermal mineral veins, where heated, mineral-rich fluids circulate through fractures and cavities in surrounding rock.

As these fluids cool or experience changes in pressure and chemical composition, dissolved minerals can crystallise within the available spaces.

Fluorite frequently occurs alongside quartz, calcite, baryte, galena and other minerals associated with hydrothermal deposits.

Its characteristic cubic crystal habit and perfect octahedral cleavage are important identifying features.

Natural cleavage and fracturing can expose angular surfaces, contributing to the complex crystalline appearance visible in raw specimens.

The contrasting blue-grey and pale green sections of this specimen demonstrate the visual diversity associated with natural fluorite.

Its golden-orange staining is consistent with the presence of iron-bearing alteration products, which can develop when iron-containing minerals oxidise along fractures and exposed surfaces.

Wheal Mary Ann & Cornish Mining Heritage

Wheal Mary Ann is a historic mineral locality situated near Menheniot in south-east Cornwall, England.

The Menheniot district forms part of Cornwall's extensive mining landscape and is particularly associated with historic lead and silver mining.

Although Cornwall is internationally recognised for tin and copper extraction, its south-eastern mineral districts also contain important lead-bearing hydrothermal veins.

During the nineteenth century, mining operations around Menheniot extracted lead ores, particularly galena, which could contain economically valuable silver.

These deposits formed through hydrothermal geological processes, as heated mineral-rich fluids circulated through fractures in the surrounding rocks and deposited dissolved minerals.

The resulting veins contain a variety of associated mineral species, including fluorite, quartz and lead-bearing minerals.

The British Geological Survey's geological memoir covering Plymouth and South-East Cornwall records fluorite as an important gangue mineral at Wheal Mary Ann.

Gangue minerals occur alongside economically valuable ores but are not necessarily the principal materials extracted during mining.

Historical geological observations describe more than one generation of fluorite mineralisation at Wheal Mary Ann.

This indicates that the mineral veins experienced successive episodes of geological activity and changing conditions of mineral deposition.

Such processes can produce complex mineral associations, overlapping crystalline growth and variations in crystal colour and structure.

The contrasting blue-grey and pale green areas of this specimen make it an interesting example of the natural crystalline complexity associated with fluorite.

Its reported origin at Wheal Mary Ann also connects it to the rich mineralogical and industrial heritage of Cornwall.

Intention & Associated Chakras

Within traditional crystal healing practices, fluorite is associated with mental clarity, concentration, emotional balance and personal understanding.

Blue fluorite is traditionally linked with communication and self-expression, while green fluorite is associated with renewal, emotional harmony and personal growth.

The combination of blue-grey and pale green colouring makes this specimen symbolically associated with both the Throat Chakra and Heart Chakra.

• Mental Clarity: Traditionally associated with concentration, clear thinking and understanding.
• Communication: Symbolically connected with honest expression and thoughtful conversation.
• Emotional Balance: Associated with calm reflection and emotional harmony.
• Personal Growth: Traditionally linked with renewal, learning and positive change.
• Focus: Associated with organisation, concentration and mental discipline.
• Inner Calm: Symbolically connected with peaceful reflection and emotional steadiness.

Associated Chakras: Throat Chakra and Heart Chakra.

Primary Intention: Mental clarity, communication and emotional balance.

These associations reflect traditional spiritual beliefs and are not scientifically established effects of fluorite.

Natural Formation & Symbolism

This specimen retains its natural raw formation, displaying an elongated arrangement of interlocking crystalline sections and angular fluorite surfaces.

The smoky blue-grey areas contrast with translucent pale green and cream-coloured growth, creating an attractive variation in colour and transparency.

Natural crystal boundaries, small cavities and mineral-filled recesses add further detail to the specimen.

Golden-orange iron staining follows portions of the crystalline structure, highlighting fractures and creating warm accents against the cooler mineral colours.

Within traditional crystal symbolism, blue fluorite represents clarity and communication, while green fluorite is associated with balance and renewal.

Beyond these symbolic associations, this specimen's principal appeal lies in its distinctive elongated formation, contrasting colours and connection to Cornwall's historic mining landscape.

Specimen Details

• Mineral: Fluorite with iron oxide staining
• Chemical Formula: CaF₂ (Fluorite)
• Mineral Group: Halides
• Crystal System: Cubic (Isometric)
• Mohs Hardness: 4
• Supplied Locality Attribution: Wheal Mary Ann
• Location: Menheniot, Cornwall, England
• Weight: 390g
• Dimensions: 52.5mm × 95.8mm
• Formation: Natural elongated raw fluorite with contrasting crystalline growth and iron-stained surfaces
• Colour: Blue-grey, smoky blue, pale green, cream, translucent white, honey yellow and golden orange
• Features: Angular fluorite crystal faces, translucent pale green crystalline sections, natural cleavage surfaces, small crystalline recesses and contrasting iron staining
• Shape: Raw
• Finish: Natural, unpolished
• Quantity: One individual specimen

You will receive the exact specimen photographed. Natural mineral specimens may display irregular edges, fractures, inclusions, uneven surfaces, mineral staining and delicate crystalline formations.

The acrylic display support, wooden plinth and decorative flowers shown in the photographs are not included.

Sources & References

1. British Geological Survey – Plymouth and South-East Cornwall Area, Geological Memoir (Sheet 348). Geological documentation describing the Menheniot mineral veins, Wheal Mary Ann mineralisation and multiple generations of fluorite formation.
   British Geological Survey Geological Memoir
2. British Geological Survey – Silver, Mineral Resources Consultative Committee Mineral Dossier. Geological and historical information concerning the Menheniot lead-silver mining district.
   British Geological Survey Silver Mineral Dossier
3. Mindat – Wheal Mary Ann, Menheniot, Cornwall. Mineral locality database documenting fluorite and associated mineral species.
   Wheal Mary Ann Mineral Locality
4. University of Cambridge – Fluorite Mineral Collection. Mineralogical information concerning fluorite's chemical composition, crystal system, cleavage and physical properties.
   University of Cambridge Fluorite Collection
5. Henwood, W. J. (1871). Observations on Metalliferous Deposits: On the Lead Mines of Menheniot, Lanreath and Saint Pinnock. Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, Volume 8, pages 699–722.