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Color Change Fluorite (var. chlorophane): McHone Pegmatite, Spruce Pine, North Carolina

A 13 carat gemmy fragment of McHone Mine chlorophane fluorite illuminated by fluorescent light.

The same chlorophane fragment illuminated by tungsten light.

The chlorophane from the Warlick's McHone Mine is exceptional for both its strong thermoluminescence, phosphorescence, and unusual color. Fragments of cholorphane from this mine, although only weakly fluorescent, will begin to glow a bluish-green color when heated by the warmth of one's hand (a completely dark room and dark-acclimated eyes are necessary to view this glow). When heated to higher temperature by flame, this chlorophane emits a bright bluish-green glow observable even in daylight! Recently, the Warlicks have recovered small amounts of facet grade chlorphane from their mine. Fragments of this material, such as that shown above, display good size, excellent clarity, and remarkable thermoluminescence. What makes this cholorphane even more unusual is its color. In daylight the material is a medium, slightly bluish-gray to rose color. When illuminated with tungsten light, the chlorophane is a rose color. Under fluorescent light the chlorophane is a grayish green. McHone Mine chlorophane displays the unusual color-change phenomenon usually associated with the mineral alexandrite. McHone Mine is the new type location for chlorophane fluorite; a very rare and remarkable mineral! Because fluorite is soft, and cleaves so readily, it is not suitable for jewelry purposes. In spite of this, collectors are drawn to its beautiful colors. Fluorite is not commonly faceted. It is difficult to obtain a brilliant polish on such soft material, and the resulting gems must be treated with great care to avoid damage. Nevertheless, museums and collectors search out and prize faceted fluorites to grace the shelves of their collections. The recent production of color-change, thermoluminescent, chlorophane fluorite has brought a most unusual collector's gem material to the market. Finely faceted chlorophane is as rare and unique as the thermoluminescence it displays.

Please note: As of August, 2012, The Warlick's Chalk Mountain Crystal Mine (the McHone pegmatite) was not open to the public.