<p>Long Island is one giant moraine so finding anything specific is basically a needle in a haystack without a really detailed survey and even then it is mostly luck. </p>

<p>This <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0878421807" rel="nofollow noreferrer">book</a> will help you get the lay of the local geology. 
The <a href="http://www.newyorkmineralogicalclub.org/history/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">NY Mineralogical Club</a> might be a nice place to visit in general; they have some incredibly detailed surveys of the region. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.mindat.org/minloclist.php?m=1576&amp;l=4002" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Minedat</a> has a searchable mineral locality database, it pops up a few NY road cuts for fluorite as well as a couple fluorite <a href="https://www.mindat.org/locdetailed-4002.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">variants</a>.  Low percentage, but that's half the fun, right? </p>

<p>PS: you are fairly close to the Franklin Mineral and Sterling Hill Mining Museum where you can find some really rare fluorescent minerals in the old talus piles, including fluorescent fluorites, and you can search them for a nominal fee. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-12T20:37:56.657Z
2017-05-13T19:46:43.953Z
2017-05-13T19:46:43.953Z
John
<p>I do not know of fluorite being reported to occur on Long Island. If fluorite is found in NYC, the Natural History museum might have specimens.  You might try contacting a mineralogy / mineral collecting club on Long Island. Someone there would probably know for certain if fluorite can be found.</p>

<p>Fluorite can be found in several limestone formations in New York. See map<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hNCs1.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hNCs1.jpg" alt="Fluorite in New York"></a></p>

<p>Personally, I have collected fluorite from the Penfield Quarry near Webster New York during the mid 1980s.  Some of the waste rock from the quarry was used as breaker wall stone on the lake front in Webster New York.  You could probably still collect fluorite crystals there.</p>

<p>Here is a map of the lower 48 states showing mines where fluorite has been reported to occur.  </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XOQbJ.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XOQbJ.jpg" alt="Fluorite in lower 48 states"></a> </p>

<p>Other places I have personally collected fluorite</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Terlingua, Texas fluorspar mine (massive bedded fluorite)</p></li>
<li><p>Spearfish Canyon Black Hills South Dakota (fluorite in geodes in limestone)</p></li>
<li><p>Closed rock quarry in Pennsylvania near Breezewood, PA</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Locations where fluorite is still able to be collected.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Mines/Mountains near Socorro New Mexico</p></li>
<li><p>Mt Antero in Colorado, at high elevation.</p></li>
<li><p>Bancroft Ontario - fluorite in calcite (fluorspar)</p></li>
<li><p>Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada (fluorspar)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>References:</p>

<p>Wikipedia <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorite" rel="noreferrer">Fluorite</a></p>

<p>Maps created using  <a href="http://digitalrockhound.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer">Digital Rockhounds Companion software</a>. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-11T11:18:37.347Z
2017-05-11T11:29:02.047Z
2017-05-11T11:29:02.047Z
Earth Science Expatriate
<p>I'm interested in fluorite (Since Fluorine is my favorite element, and I wanted a sample of it, even if bonded, but I don't want to buy it; that would be no fun), and I'm curious if it can be found on Long Island, New York. Where would the largest geologic formations be that are accessible?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-12T00:23:14.980Z
If fluorine is your favourite element, you try to look for pegmatites. There you can usually find apatite, micas (biotite or muscovite) or even topaz that have fluorine in them. Fluorite is probably the most obvious mineral to look for when you're hunting for fluorine, but not the only one. Good luck!
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-12T00:25:59.240Z
And you can look here: https://www.mindat.org/show.php?id=1576&ld=1#themap scroll down, there's a list of localities for fluorite and an interactive map. You might find something nearby.
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-12T04:12:36.773Z
Long Island is entirely made up of glacial debris. It's hard enough finding glacial erratics, much less fluorite!
Knob Scratcher
<geology><geochemistry><mineralogy>
Where can fluorite be found on Long Island, New York?
Sarah Szabo
# Where can fluorite be found on Long Island, New York?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-11)

I'm interested in fluorite (Since Fluorine is my favorite element, and I wanted a sample of it, even if bonded, but I don't want to buy it; that would be no fun), and I'm curious if it can be found on Long Island, New York. Where would the largest geologic formations be that are accessible?

**Tags:** geology, geochemistry, mineralogy

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If fluorine is your favourite element, you try to look for pegmatites. There you can usually find apatite, micas (biotite or muscovite) or even topaz that have fluorine in them. Fluorite is probably the most obvious mineral to look for when you're hunting for fluorine, but not the only one. Good luck!  
> **username_1**: And you can look here: https://www.mindat.org/show.php?id=1576&ld=1#themap scroll down, there's a list of localities for fluorite and an interactive map. You might find something nearby.  
> **username_2**: Long Island is entirely made up of glacial debris. It's hard enough finding glacial erratics, much less fluorite!  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-05-11. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

I do not know of fluorite being reported to occur on Long Island. If fluorite is found in NYC, the Natural History museum might have specimens. You might try contacting a mineralogy / mineral collecting club on Long Island. Someone there would probably know for certain if fluorite can be found.

Fluorite can be found in several limestone formations in New York. See map  
[![Fluorite in New York](https://i.sstatic.net/hNCs1.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/hNCs1.jpg)

Personally, I have collected fluorite from the Penfield Quarry near Webster New York during the mid 1980s. Some of the waste rock from the quarry was used as breaker wall stone on the lake front in Webster New York. You could probably still collect fluorite crystals there.

Here is a map of the lower 48 states showing mines where fluorite has been reported to occur.

[![Fluorite in lower 48 states](https://i.sstatic.net/XOQbJ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/XOQbJ.jpg)

Other places I have personally collected fluorite

* Terlingua, Texas fluorspar mine (massive bedded fluorite)
* Spearfish Canyon Black Hills South Dakota (fluorite in geodes in limestone)
* Closed rock quarry in Pennsylvania near Breezewood, PA

Locations where fluorite is still able to be collected.

* Mines/Mountains near Socorro New Mexico
* Mt Antero in Colorado, at high elevation.
* Bancroft Ontario - fluorite in calcite (fluorspar)
* Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada (fluorspar)

References:

Wikipedia [Fluorite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorite)

Maps created using [Digital Rockhounds Companion software](http://digitalrockhound.blogspot.com/).


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-05-12. Score: 3

Long Island is one giant moraine so finding anything specific is basically a needle in a haystack without a really detailed survey and even then it is mostly luck.

This [book](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0878421807) will help you get the lay of the local geology.
The [NY Mineralogical Club](http://www.newyorkmineralogicalclub.org/history/) might be a nice place to visit in general; they have some incredibly detailed surveys of the region.

[Minedat](https://www.mindat.org/minloclist.php?m=1576&l=4002) has a searchable mineral locality database, it pops up a few NY road cuts for fluorite as well as a couple fluorite [variants](https://www.mindat.org/locdetailed-4002.html). Low percentage, but that's half the fun, right?

PS: you are fairly close to the Franklin Mineral and Sterling Hill Mining Museum where you can find some really rare fluorescent minerals in the old talus piles, including fluorescent fluorites, and you can search them for a nominal fee.


---

