Mineral description : Apatite

Picture pending, apatite from Varuträsk.

Chloride apatite from Altermark, Norway. (7 cm long stone, xx up to 12mm across) Same rock, but the other side where it was split. Altermark, Norway. (8 cm long stone, xx up to 9mm across) Massive grey apatite from Sels-Vitberget, Bålstabruk.

Mineral class Phosphates : apatite group.

Chemical formula Ca₂F(PO₄)₃

Crystal system Hexagonal

Habitus Often in hexagonal prismatic crystals. Also as grainy masses.

Cleavage Poor basal cleavage. Clear along {0001} and {10/10}. Brittle fracture

Hardness 5

Density 3.16-3.22

Color Varying, most commonly yellow, green, blue and brown. Oftly translucense.

Streak White.

Luster Glas.

Description

Occurance In magmatic rocks, as hydrothermal veins in iron rich rocks. Also in sedimentary rocks.

Associates

Notes Soluble in hydrocloric acid, in sulphur acid and nitrous acid. The nitric acid solution gives with ammonium molybdate an yolk yellow precipitate.

Locations A not so rare mineral in Sweden, but good crystal locations are scarce.

In the phosphate rich iron ores some good crystals have been found, primarily in drusy pegmatic veins in the ore.

Grängesberg mine.
Painirova, Kiruna.
Malmberget, Gällivare.

Nordmarks mine, with magnetite in calcite cracks.
Insjö mine field, Dalarna. As small but good crystals.
Mansjöberg, Los. As grainy aggregates of blue apatite.
Varuträsk.
Viitaniemi, Finland.
Alnön, Sundsvall. In carbonatites.
Ulefoss, Norge. In carbonatites.
Kragerö-area, Norway. In a hydrothermally transformed gabbro. Up to 0.5 m crystals.
Estonia, as phosphorite.
Arendal, Norway. Greenblue rounded crystals are common in the scarn mineralisation.
Gloserheia pegmatite, Froland, Norway. Big deepblue crystals in quartz in the pegmatite. Also as small bluegreen crystals between biotite and muscovite.
Selbu, Norway. Green crystals up to 3 cm in quartz linses together with kyanite and staurolite.
Boda, Dalarna. In an ordovicic carbonatic rock as Phosphorite.

To phosphates index.
Mineral group index.
Main index.

If you have some questions, suggestions or comments you are welcome to write me a line or two.

axelsson@acc.umu.se

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Last changed : 1998-03-07

Mineral class	Phosphates : apatite group.
Chemical formula	Ca₂F(PO₄)₃
Crystal system	Hexagonal
Habitus	Often in hexagonal prismatic crystals. Also as grainy masses.
Cleavage	Poor basal cleavage. Clear along {0001} and {10/10}. Brittle fracture
Hardness	5
Density	3.16-3.22
Color	Varying, most commonly yellow, green, blue and brown. Oftly translucense.
Streak	White.
Luster	Glas.
Description
Occurance	In magmatic rocks, as hydrothermal veins in iron rich rocks. Also in sedimentary rocks.
Associates
Notes	Soluble in hydrocloric acid, in sulphur acid and nitrous acid. The nitric acid solution gives with ammonium molybdate an yolk yellow precipitate.
Locations	A not so rare mineral in Sweden, but good crystal locations are scarce. In the phosphate rich iron ores some good crystals have been found, primarily in drusy pegmatic veins in the ore. Grängesberg mine. Painirova, Kiruna. Malmberget, Gällivare. Nordmarks mine, with magnetite in calcite cracks. Insjö mine field, Dalarna. As small but good crystals. Mansjöberg, Los. As grainy aggregates of blue apatite. Varuträsk. Viitaniemi, Finland. Alnön, Sundsvall. In carbonatites. Ulefoss, Norge. In carbonatites. Kragerö-area, Norway. In a hydrothermally transformed gabbro. Up to 0.5 m crystals. Estonia, as phosphorite. Arendal, Norway. Greenblue rounded crystals are common in the scarn mineralisation. Gloserheia pegmatite, Froland, Norway. Big deepblue crystals in quartz in the pegmatite. Also as small bluegreen crystals between biotite and muscovite. Selbu, Norway. Green crystals up to 3 cm in quartz linses together with kyanite and staurolite. Boda, Dalarna. In an ordovicic carbonatic rock as Phosphorite.