mineral
Apatite
Calcium phosphate fluoride/chloride, Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH)
Hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale, colors range from green, blue, yellow, to purple, vitreous to greasy luster, hexagonal crystal system, poor cleavage, specific gravity around 3.1-3.2
Identified More mineral →
Explore Apatite in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale, colors range from green, blue, yellow, to purple, vitreous to greasy luster, hexagonal crystal system, poor cleavage, specific gravity around 3.1-3.2
Formation & geological history
Formed in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments, often found in pegmatites and hydrothermal veins
Uses & applications
Primarily used in the production of fertilizer (as a source of phosphorus), sometimes cut as gemstones for collectors
Geological facts
Apatite is the defining mineral for a hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale. It is also the main component of teeth and bones in vertebrates.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified by its distinctive hexagonal crystal form and hardness of 5, which can be scratched by a knife but not by a copper coin. Found worldwide including Mexico, Brazil, and Madagascar.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral