Augelite

Augelite is an aluminium phosphate and this beautifully crystallised large miniature is from the world-famous locality at Rapid Creek in the Dawson Mining District of Yukon, Canada.  Look on a map and you’ll see Dawson Creek is almost as far north as you can travel in Canada, yet during the summer months it has a green and lush landscape.  The deposit was first discovered in 1974, becoming widely publicised to mineral collectors in the Mineralogical Record’s special 1992 issue, Yukon Phosphates (Vol. 23, No. 4).  I can well remember receiving that issue and being completely bowled over!  On this specimen the Augelite forms pale yellowish lime green crystals averaging between 3 and 6 mm on edge, with a bevelled lozenge habit.  A roughly 3 x 3 cm dense cluster of crystals sits on a plate of hard rusty brown phosphatic shale matrix. Although minor, a 3 x 2 cm group of blue Lazulite granules are embedded in the matrix on its base.