Fluorapatite (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A really cool and rarely seen (for the locality) purple(!) Apatite from Nagar. The specimen features a sharp, lustrous, fairly thick, tabular hexagonal crystal of Fluorapatite measuring 1.7 cm across with a gemmy purple exterior, and a core that is colored green by an unknown mineral (possibly some kind of "Chlorite"?) sitting atop a matrix of Quartz and Albite. The label mentions that the Quartz crystals are "distorted", and you can see some unusual growth lines on both the prism and pyramidal faces of the Quartz crystals, which are a sign of distorted / irregular growth. The Apatite crystal is in good condition, though it is contacted on one edge where it was removed from the pocket wall. Of all the colors of Apatite in the world, purple is arguably the most desirable, and this piece is a lovely example that would make a good addition to any collection. Valued at $500-$700. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#11508). 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).