Alright folks, let’s dive into this BG3 purple fluorite shard versus other crystals comparison I tried out. Honestly, it started because I kept grabbing that shiny purple stuff in Baldur’s Gate 3 and wondered how it stacked up against my real-life rock collection. Full disclosure – I’m no scientist, just a dude with a shelf full of stones and too much curiosity.
Why I Even Bothered
It was last weekend, pretty uneventful. After tossing Fireballs around virtually for hours, I picked up another fake fluorite shard in-game and glanced at my actual purple fluorite chunk sitting nearby. That purple amethyst point I paid good money for winked at me from the other end of the shelf. Got me wondering – what makes these things different anyway?
Grabbing My Stuff and Getting Stuck Immediately
First step: Round ’em up. Pulled down these bad boys:
- A BG3-inspired raw purple fluorite piece (rough, kinda cloudy)
- A sharp purple amethyst point my sister gave me
- A hunk of purple quartz I got cheap online
Right away, problem one: Telling fluorite from amethyst just by looking? Nope. Both were deep purple, kinda sparkly under the lamp. Tried that old “turn it slowly” trick I heard about to see if colors change like some folks said. Spun the amethyst like a tiny disco ball – bam, saw flashes of reddish-purple and blueish-purple. Cool! Then I spun the fluorite. Nothing. Solid purple all the way around. First clue, I guess. Felt a tiny bit clever.
Poking and Scratching Like a Caveperson
Next up, the fun part. Heard hardness matters. Florite loses to amethyst big time. Decided to get physical. Grabbed a plain steel nail from the garage. Took a breath and tried scratching the fluorite first, gentle-like. Left a clear, greasy-looking groove. Yikes! Wiped it off, heart pounding like I’d vandalized a museum piece. Felt guilty scratching my own stuff!
Braced myself and tried the same scratch test on the amethyst. Pushed harder, pressed the nail tip. Couldn’t make a mark. Nail just sort of skidded off. Big difference. That quartz chunk? Same thing – tougher than the fluorite. That fluorite piece might look hard, but dang, it’s delicate.
The Moment I Nearly Wrecked Everything
Here’s the amateur hour confession: Almost snapped the fluorite clean in half. Got curious about those inner lines folks call “cleavage planes.” Held it up to the light and pushed gently on opposite sides. Felt it wanting to split along flat surfaces inside. Panicked and put it down fast. Looked at the amethyst and quartz – solid through and through, no hidden split-lines waiting to betray me. Noticed a faint, straight crack inside the fluorite piece too, where it naturally wants to break. Handle with care!
What I Actually Learned Messing Around
After my slightly destructive afternoon, here’s the real-person takeaway:
- Fluorite’s the Softie: That BG3 purple shard? Real fluorite feels… fragile. Scratches super easy, feels smooth like soapstone sometimes, and those hidden split lines! Makes it a pain to work with if you’re clumsy like me. Not great for a ring you’ll knock against stuff.
- Amethyst’s the Tank: That purple point from my sis? Way tougher. Holds its color when you twist it, stands up to scratches better, feels solid. Definitely feels more “gemy.”
So, which is the “better choice”? Forget “better.” Depends what you want the stupid rock to DO. Want something pretty to sit safely on a shelf and glow under a lamp? Purple fluorite looks amazing! Found that out staring at mine later under blue light – cool glow. But if you want a stone you can actually carry around without it getting chipped or cracked looking like you fought a dragon? Go amethyst. Or save up for something harder. That purple quartz? Middle of the road – harder than fluorite but lacks the amethyst’s flashy color change.
BG3 made fluorite look magical and powerful. Real life? More like “handle with care.” Still love the look though. Might stick to pixelated shards for the hardcore questing.