Fluorapatite (var: Carbonate-rich Fluorapatite) (ex Al Kidwell Collection)

Item Description

Here we have rarely seen specimen of what used to be called Carbonate Fluorapatite from Durango, Mexico. Now Carbonate Fluorapatite was at one time a valid species, but it now defined as a variety of Fluorapatite called Carbonate-rich Fluorapatite. Additionally, you might see these pieces labeled as Francolite from years ago, but that's also an archaic term, no longer valid. This piece features very good sized spheres of Carbonate-rich Fluorapatite measuring up to 1.0 cm across with a somewhat subdued waxy luster and varying hues from yellow-green to olive-green to almost a silvery color. Most of the spheres are complete, but one of them near the center of the piece is broken and actually shows a slightly hollow "core" with a powder blue color in the middle. You can see from the contacted edge on one side that these spheres formed in layers with different colors building upon one another. A really impressive and showy specimen of this hard to find phosphate material from Mexico. Don't miss out on this one as you probably won't see another like for a long time. From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974.