Inner Mongolia
Curated by Maggie Liu · Updated:
About Inner Mongoliaextended article
Inner Mongolia — phantom fluorite and Bayan Obo classics
Inner Mongolia's vast mineralized belts supply two very different collector materials: saturated fluorite — purple phantoms, red octahedra, and white spherical growths — and metallic species from the world-famous Bayan Obo Fe-REE deposit, including sharp specular hematite.
What Inner Mongolia is known for
- Purple phantom fluorite, sometimes with marcasite inclusions
- Red octahedral fluorite clusters — among China's most distinctive fluorite colors
- White spherical fluorite with cassiterite
- Specular (mirror-luster) hematite from Bayan Obo
- Flower calcite with green quartz; sulfosalts such as boulangerite
Typical specimen style
The fluorite favors dramatic color statements — deep phantom zoning or full-red saturation — over delicate combinations. Bayan Obo hematite shows brilliant metallic faces in tight crystal clusters.
Collector value
Red octahedral fluorite is the headline material: the color is rare in the species worldwide and instantly recognizable on a shelf. Phantom pieces are valued on zone sharpness; hematite on luster and crystal definition.
From our inventory
Browse Inner Mongolia specimens or the fluorite guide.
The Huanggang skarn
Inner Mongolia's modern collector fame rests above all on the Huanggang iron–tin skarn in the Hexigten area, where granite intruded carbonate rocks to form lustrous green and purple fluorite, magnetite, ilvaite, hedenbergite and arsenopyrite, often in striking combinations on a single matrix. The province's granite pegmatites also yield beryl, including aquamarine.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Inner Mongolia?
Inner Mongolia is a mineral locality in China. It lies at approximately 41.7800°N, 109.9700°E.
What minerals are found at Inner Mongolia?
Signature minerals from Inner Mongolia include Fluorite, Calcite, Quartz, Hematite. The locality lies in China, and each mineral links to a full reference entry with formula, crystal system, and collector notes.
What is Inner Mongolia known for?
Inner Mongolia, China — collector specimens of fluorite and barite.
Specimens from Inner Mongolia
Octahedral Blue Fluorite with Quartz — Inner Mongolia, China
Phantom Fluorite with Quartz — Inner Mongolia, China
Purple Fluorite — Inner Mongolia, China
Prismatic Black Ilvaite with Quartz — Inner Mongolia, China
Cream Quartz with Calcite — Inner Mongolia, China
Bladed Black Ilvaite with Quartz — Inner Mongolia, China
Purple Phantom Fluorite with Quartz — Inner Mongolia, China
Quartz Cluster on Matrix — Inner Mongolia, China
Flower-like Calcite with Quartz — Inner Mongolia, China
Pale Yellow Ball Fluorite on Iron Matrix, Inner Mongolia
Specular Hematite Rosette, Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia
Green Fluorite Cluster with Purple Trim, Inner Mongolia
Fluorite with Purple Phantoms and Marcasite, Inner Mongolia
Silver-Grey Martite Hematite, Inner Mongolia
Arsenopyrite with Quartz Crystal Cluster, Inner Mongolia
Blue Phantom Fluorite, Yindu, Inner Mongolia
Glassy Fluorite Crystal on Cassiterite Matrix, Inner Mongolia
Natural Spherical Calcite, Baotou, Inner Mongolia
Boulangerite with Quartz and Pyrite, Inner Mongolia
Flower Calcite with Green Quartz, Inner Mongolia
Calcite with Screw-Growth Green Quartz, Inner Mongolia
Green Fluorite Cluster – Step Growth, Inner Mongolia
Plum-Purple Fluorite with Botryoidal Dolomite, Inner Mongolia
Water-Clear Fluorite Crystals on Matrix, Inner Mongolia
