Fluorapatite (classic material) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A classic specimen of the famous Fluorapatites from Slyudyanka (Sludyanka). The piece features a handful of lustrous, translucent, classic, aqua blue color prismatic hexagonal crystals of Fluorapatite measuring up to 2.2 cm long sitting on matrix of very dark Phlogopite mica with associated orange Calcite on the reverse side. The Apatites are actually well-formed, as show stepped contact terminations, but the only roughness I can see is on the end of two of the crystals were they were removed from the pocket wall. It's difficult to find matrix specimens from this locality, but it's especially RARE to find crystals on Phlogopite like this. Look around and you'll see that the majority of matrix Apatites from Slyudyanka are sitting on Calcite with virtually no Phlogopite present. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#12441). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).