Fluorapatite with Lazulite (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

Rapid Creek is one of the great phosphate localities in North America. It is probably best known for its world class Lazulite crystals. This miniature specimen is a great association piece featuring "barrel"-shaped hexagonal crystals of Fluorapatite measuring up to about 6 mm which are mostly colorless, but have a bit of iron oxide coating them to create a slightly pinkish color. Additionally you can see several small, deep inky blue colored crystals of Lazulite covering the underlying matrix. No real damage that I can find with the naked eye, and if you collect Rapid Creek material, you know it's quite difficult to find good Apatite crystals. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#8916). 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).