Fluorapatito Azul
Fluorapatito is a mineral with formula Ca₅(PO₄)₃F, in the Fosfatos group. This specimen comes from Minas da Panasqueira, Aldeia de S. Francisco, Covilhã, Castelo Branco, Portugal and joined the Terrium collection in 2019.
Description
Large hexagonal crystal of blue-grey translucent fluorapatite, locally gemmy, with broad faces and vitreous lustre. Intergrown with rosettes of siderite and pearly plates of muscovite. The base is covered by a carpet of minute, very bright arsenopyrite crystals.
About Fluorapatito
Fluorapatite is a calcium fluorophosphate; its paragenesis with siderite (iron carbonate), muscovite (mica) and arsenopyrite is the definitive Panasqueira signature.
About the locality
Panasqueira is a major Portuguese tungsten district and one of the world’s classic localities for fluorapatite, ferberite and arsenopyrite. The deposit is famed for its system of subhorizontal quartz veins ("flat veins"), formed by hydraulic fracturing processes associated with a granite batholith. Beyond its mining importance during the 20th century, Panasqueira gained international recognition for the aesthetic quality of its mineral specimens. Its iconic coloured fluorapatites, often in paragenesis with bright arsenopyrite, siderite and muscovite, are considered the gold standard for the species and an essential reference.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0408
- Composition
- Ca₅(PO₄)₃F
- Name
- Fluorapatito
- Variety
- Azul
- Group
- Fosfatos
- Category
- Lucimera
- Matrix
- Moscovita
- Associations
- arsenopirita, siderita
- Mine
- Minas da Panasqueira
- District / Municipality
- Aldeia de S. Francisco
- Province
- Covilhã
- Region
- Castelo Branco
- Country
- Portugal
- Size (cm)
- 5 x 5 x 4
- Weight
- 84 g
- Acquired
- 2019
- Ex-collection
- Jesús Paterna
- Etymology
- Apatite derives from the Greek "apatē" (ἀπάτη), meaning "deceit" or "error", a name assigned in 1786 by the German geologist Abraham G. Werner because it was often mistaken for gemstones such as beryl, tourmaline or amethyst.
- Quality
- Top
- Value trend
- Al alza