Apatite
The mineral your teeth are made of, in electric blue and green.
- Family
- Apatite
- Formula
- Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,Cl,OH)
- Mohs
- 5
- System
- Hexagonal
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Science
Apatite is a group of calcium phosphates differing by fluorine, chlorine or hydroxyl. Bone and tooth enamel are hydroxyapatite. Gem apatite is soft and brittle but comes in vivid neon blues and greens from Madagascar, coloured by manganese and rare earths.
- Mineral
- Apatite
- Formula
- Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,Cl,OH)
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Mohs hardness
- 5
- Specific gravity
- 3.16 to 3.22
- Refractive index
- 1.630 to 1.640
- Lustre
- Vitreous
- Colours
- Blue, Green, Yellow, Teal
Composition
Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,Cl,OH). Made of Calcium, Phosphorus, Oxygen, Fluorine, Chlorine, Hydrogen, with trace Manganese, Iron responsible for colour.
Origin
- Madagascarneon blue-green
- Brazil
- MexicoDurango, yellow
- Myanmar
- RussiaKola Peninsula
- Canada
Filled dots are primary sources
Rarity
Common as a rock-forming mineral and the world's phosphate source; clean gem crystals are moderately scarce.
- 1 Abundant
- 2 Common
- 3 Uncommon
- 4 Rare
- 5 Exceptional
Hardness
Apatite sits at 5 on the Mohs scale. Glass and a knife blade are about as hard; it wears well with care.
Energy
Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.
Chakras
- Throat
- Third Eye
Element
- Air
Zodiac
- Gemini
- Libra
Planets
- Mercury
Properties
- Motivation
- Communication
- Appetite control
- Clarity
Lore
Named in 1786 by Werner from the Greek apatao, to deceive, because it had been mistaken for beryl, tourmaline and peridot. It defines 5 on the Mohs scale.
Its modern reputation follows its biology: a stone of bones, appetite and healthy hunger.
- Mohs 5The reference mineral for hardness 5.
- PhosphateApatite rock is the source of nearly all fertiliser phosphorus.