Apatite
The name apatite comes from the Greek word for deceive or cheat, which is apatao. Throughout history it has been called the deceitful or cheating stone because it is so easy to confuse it with other types of gemstones. While this is especially true in the cut stones used in jewellery, it is also true when it is in the raw crystal state as it has been mistaken for beryl and tourmaline.
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Apatite Apatite 5
Occurs in colours from white, yellow and green to blue and violet
- An irony of the name apatite is that apatite is the mineral that makes up the teeth in all vertebrate animals as well as their bones
- Like most other minerals, the colour depends on the additional minerals in the area where the apatite gemstone grows. The most in demand color, the rich purple found in Maine at Mount Apatite.
- Apatite gemstone said to help those with weight problems for it not only helps in appetite suppression
- Metaphysical healers use Apatite to reduce stress. It is said to alleviate "burn out" and clear mental confusion
Apatite appears in a range of colours from white, yellow and green to blue and violet. In coarse non-gem quality crystals, Apatite can reach enormous sizes of up to hundreds of kilograms in mass, but the clear crystals from which gemstones are cut are always small.
Beautiful blue stones are found in the Mogok Stone Tract of Myanmar and in the gem gravels of Sri Lanka, some of which have a fibrous structure and, when cut en cabochon in the correct direction, display a 'cat's eye' effect.
Yellowish green crystals found in the Spanish province of Murcia have been referred to as 'asparagus stones' due to their peculiar colour. Major sources of Apatite include Ajmer, Devada and Madras in India, where the crystals unearthed are often sea-green.
Like most other minerals, the colour depends on the additional minerals in the area where the apatite gemstone grows. The most in demand colour, the rich purple found in Maine at Mount Apatite. From Brazil we find the 2nd most sought after colour which is a brilliant blue colour. Recently a neon blue-green variety has been minded in Madagascar that is quickly gaining in popularity.
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