Fluorapatite (classic rare material) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

The Foote Mine in North Carolina is one of the great phosphate pegmatite localities in the United States. Many of my favorite micro crystals of colorful and rare species are found at this mine. This plate features tabular and prismatic, hexagonal, gemmy purple to sherry colored Fluorapatite crystals, to 8 mm across, nestled in a Quartz and Albite lined vug. These are very good sized for the locality, and very colorful as well. Up close the piece is beautiful, and these specimens are some of the finest crystallized Apatites from any locality in the US in my mind. Some of the Apatites have a selective depostion of an unknown species on the prism faces. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#7799). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record).