A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Apatite with calcite and hornblende |
|---|---|
| Description | Apatite, Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl) is the most common phosphate mineral. In this specimen it is brown and is accompanied by whitish calcite and black hornblende. Appatite is present in many rocks of different sorts but is generally too fine grained and disseminated to be seen easily. Large well formed crystals though can be found in certain contact metamorphic rocks - the 9 cm wide sample shown is an example. Apatite sometimes forms in massive sedimentary beds (phosphorites) which are mined to manufacture fertilizers and other chemicals. Besides the brown color shown, apatite may be transparent to opaque in shades of green, brown, yellow, white, red, and purple. Some yellow-green (asparagus stone) and blue-green (manganapatite) varieties are used in jewelry. |
| Location | Canada ▹ Quebec. Near Buckingham. |
| Photographer | Nessa Eull. 2001-06-19. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection #1010. |
| Key words | apatite, calcite, tourmaline, Quebec, Canada |
| Tech details | 562 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 793 |
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