Description

This is a gorgeous top-quality specimen of stacked fluorapatites from the famous June 2007 pocket at the Sapo Mine. It is comprised of two intertwined, slightly curved stacks, and is doubly-terminated. One of the stacks is a slightly lighter yellow and the other has more green hue. In excellent condition – no damage to the terminations or edges except a small chip on the backside and an incomplete small side-crystal which I didn’t even notice until now, entirely inconsequential).

In his article on the Sapo Mine in The Mineralogical Record (July-August 2009, Vol 40:4), Luiz Menezes describes the complex morphology of the fluorapatites from the pocket. This specimen is what Luiz describes as “Habit 3,” with crystal stacks intersecting at approximately 60 degree angles. This piece also features the typical hollow tube up the centre of the stacks, although it is only open and visible at the bottom end – the top is closed by the joined terminated crystals.

This is a beautiful, elegant mineral specimen from this unique find.