Image: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.mindat.org/user-11235.html">Modris Baum</a> (Public domain)

hexagonalcommonPhosphates

Apatite

Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,Cl,OH)

This specimen displays a greenish-yellowish crystalline mass with a somewhat blocky habit, exhibiting a vitreous luster and some translucency.

Apatite Physical Properties

Mohs Hardness

Crystal System

hexagonal

Luster

vitreous

Streak Color

white

Cleavage

imperfect on {0001} and {1010}

Fracture

conchoidal to uneven

Specific Gravity

3.15

Colors

green, yellow, blue, violet, pink, brown, colorless

Transparency

transparent to translucent

Type Locality

Franklin Mine, Franklin, Franklin mining district, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA

Mineral Group

Phosphates

Uses

fertilizer, gemstone, industrial (phosphoric acid source), collector

Associated Minerals

quartz, feldspar, calcite, mica, hornblende

Rarity

common

Geological Context

Apatite is a widespread accessory mineral found in various igneous and metamorphic rocks, and is the primary constituent of phosphorite, a sedimentary rock formed from organic remains.

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