Gem Fluorapatite xl (Kay Robertson Coll.)

Item Description

Classic gem apatite from this famous iron mine. The water-clear, glassy, sharply terminated, hexagonal crystal has the glorious yellow-green color the locality is noted for. Complete all-around and pristine, the crystal has only one seam of vertical interior crazing, uncommon in such specimens. Most crystals have more interior crazing from the explosives used in ore extraction. Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 5867 and acquired from Al McGuinness in the late 1960s. 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). A very fine thumbnail apatite from Cerro de Mercado. 19.10 carats or nearly 4 grams mass.