APPLICATIONS: | Source of phosphorus used in fertilizer, rarely as a gemstone and mineral specimens. |
ASSOCIATED MINERALS: | Hornblende, micas, nepheline and calcite. |
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE: | Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl), Calcium (Fluoro, Chloro, Hydroxyl) Phosphate. |
CLASS: | Phosphates. |
CLEAVAGE: | Indistinct in one basal direction. |
COLOR: | Mostly green but also yellow, blue, reddish brown and purple. |
CRYSTRAL HABITS: | Typical hexagonal prism with the hexagonal pyramid or a pinacoid or both as a termination. Also, accicular, granular, reniform and massive. A cryptocrystalline variety is called collophane and can make up a rock type called phosphorite and also can replace fossil fragments. |
CRYSTAL SYSTEM: | Hexagonal, 6/m. |
FIELD INDICATORS: | Crystal habit, color, hardness and look. |
FRACTURE: | Conchoidal. |
GENERAL INFORMATION: | An unusual "partially dissolved" look similar to the look of previously sucked on hard candy. |
GEOGRAPHY: | Durango, Mexico; Bancroft, Ontario; Germany and Russia. |
GROUP: | Apatite. |
HARDNESS: | 5. |
LUSTER: | Vitreous to greasy and gumdrop. |
TRANSPARENCY: | Transparent to translucent. |
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: | 3.1 - 3.2. |
STREAK: | White. |
