Fluorapatite, Quartz & Albite

Item Description

Wonderful glassy and lustrous, short prismatic, sharp textbook hexagonal fluorapatite crystals with deep green cores and lighter green outer rims are richly and dramatically scattered on the impressive large mounded matrix on this outstanding combination specimen from the well-known 2006 and 2007 finds at the Sapo Mine, renowned for multi-hued blue-cap tourmaline crystals. The gemmy to translucent apatites reach 1.6 cm. The mounded matrix is mostly glassy bladed cleavelandite. Quartz points lower on one side and clustered on one end of the bottom are a fine and typical complement. These fluorapatites are considered to be among the world's finest. See the 2009 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 40, No. 4. The apatites fluoresce mustard-yellow and interestingly, some of the cleavelandite fluoresces pink. Ex Michel Jactat Collection, a retired French dealer who specialized in minerals from Brazil. A remarkable, rich and important large fluorapatite combination from the historic finds. This is one of (largest of...) a flat of specimens we obtained from dealer Michel Jactat, a French dealer who operated mines and was in Brazil at the time these came out. You do not see many large pieces on the market anymore!