[Rockhounds] How to make Fluorite octahedra?

[Flint Smith]

Since no one else is answering...

When I was a kid I used to cleave cubes out of water-softener salt.  My dad had a regeneration system that took large chunks.  On occasion there would be single crystals up to an inch.

I used a wooden mallet and a butter-knife I sharpened on a grinder.

As I recall, the hard thing was getting the first surface cleaved.  After that it was much more stable using that face as the base.  I expect octahedra would be difficult to orient and hold. Mix in a knife and a hammer and I'm not sure I'd want any one else's kids around.

Flint

Johan <mineral.maertens at att.net> wrote: How can I teach children in our club to make fluorite octahedra?
I assume: get the right kind of fluorite, use some kind of rock splitter, right orientation etc.
Have never tried it.

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Johan Maertens
    
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