UTR21-53
Hydroxylapatite on Quartz
Sapo Mine, Ferruginha, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Small Cabinet, 9.0 x 7.2 x 3.0 cm
Ex. Dr. Thomas Campbell
$1,800.00 Payment Plan Available
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This Apatite Group mineral has recently been re-identified as the species Hydroxylapatite - which is much less common than Fluorapatite, or the initially reported Carbonate-Fluorapatite from this locality. In other words, the scientists just changed its name and our old labels are wrong, again, for material from this puzzling, fascinating find of the early 2000s. Scientific classification aside, these are bizarre and unusual Apatites from a single large pocket that remain immediately recognizable, still, today. This very attractive and balanced small cabinet piece shows off several large, lustrous Hydroxylapatite crystals up to an inch across that dominate this specimen and is accented by several other smaller Hydroxylapatite crystals isolated on the Quartz matrix. The large, superb and pristine crystals are mostly lively green with some showing a yellow-green color at the core with green rims. The Hydroxylapatite crystals are flat hexagonal bipyramids with almost no prism faces, a habit that is not often seen with the Apatite Group (according to Dr. Tom!). Faces of a short prism can be seen on the large crystal, a rarity with this material. The Quartz on this piece is actually a large shard portion of a faint smoky hued Quartz crystal that displays a few dozen, flat, striated parallel growth Quartz "crystals" on its surface resulting is a nicely composed combination specimen. This is from the original, and only, 2005 find. Purchased at that time, and since held in the significant Brazilian suite of the Dr. Tom Campbell collection.

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