Fluorapatite

A fantastic miniature display specimen of the famous Fluorapatite specimens from Panasqueira, Portugal from the collection of my father, Richard Kosnar. This locality dates back over a century to 1896 and is actually still active today! The Apatites from this area are among the most recognizable and desirable for the species as the wide range of colors, along with their beautiful form, have made them a favorite among collectors for decades. Many of the Apatites from this area can have a "muddy" green hue, but it's the blue crystals that are rare and sought after by collectors. This piece is a wonderful miniature display specimen featuring superb quality, razor-sharp, highly lustrous, gemmy, thick silvery-blue color tabular hexagonal crystals measuring up to 3.2 cm across. The specimen has excellent three-dimensional form with great aesthetics. There are a few minor nicks, as is often the case with this material, but the outstanding luster, color and sharpness of the crystals outweighs any trivial dings. Not only is the piece showy on the display side, but it's crystallized underneath with minor associated golden Siderite rhombs. Oddly enough, this piece turns green in SUNLIGHT and shows its best blue color under fluorescent bulbs. This piece dates back nearly 50 years and was originally in my father's collection in the early 1970s and remained with us until we recently decided to sell it. There are not nearly as many Apatites from Panasqueira on the market as there were years ago, and pieces like this stand out as some of the finest examples of Flourapatite extant. Ex. Richard A. Kosnar collection Specimen # TUC31709