Fluorapatite with Quartz

Fluorapatite is one of those pegmatite phosphates that, when it does occasionally crystallise well, it is fabulous and captivating. This is an amazing specimen from the Mawi Pegmatite in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, composed of five good sized glassy lilac hexagonal crystals partly embedded in a snow-white matrix of Cleavelandite Feldspar, the bladed variety of Albite. The crystals are short and stubby, forming jelly candy-like plump crystals juxtaposed beautifully with a 3.5 cm long double terminated, slightly smoky, Quartz crystal of near-gem quality. Where exposed from the matrix, all Fluorapatite crystals are also double terminated, with their flat pinacoid faces displaying a whitish-grey interior and core. The largest Fluorapatite measures 2.0 cm long x 2.2 cm wide and at least 1.5 cm deep, the remainder being embedded in the Albite. All Fluorapatite prism faces are striated with a brilliant glassy lustre whereas the pinacoids are almost matt and waxy. A gorgeous specimen from Afghanistan.