Apatite is a rare, beautiful gemstone best-known for coming in almost every shade of blue. Following discoveries in Brazil and Madagascar, Apatite’s captivated connoisseurs around the globe, becoming firmly established as a highly-coveted and hugely popular jewelry gemstone. Named for their state and color, Bahia Royal Apatite is prized for their all-natural, brilliant, royal ‘sapphire’ blues, high-clarity and scant availability, featuring a classic quality-pedigree, challenging to obtain. Recently faceted from crystals mined over a decade ago, Bahia Royal Apatite comes from Capim Grosso, an old Brazilian mining district located in the state of Bahia.
Hardness 5
Refractive Index 1.628 – 1.649
Relative Density 3.16 – 3.23
Enhancement None
Beauty
Representing 50 percent of a gems’ value, color is the most important consideration in gemstones, with intense sapphire blues among the most expensive and popular colors in the gem kingdom. Bahia Royal Apatite displays bright, royal-blues with a highly-desirable medium saturation (strength of color) and tone (lightness or darkness of color). It also has an eye-clean clarity, the highest quality clarity grade for colored gemstones as determined by the world’s leading gemological laboratories, but highly unusual for Apatite. Typically, only found as small included crystals, Apatite usually has visible inclusions, impacting brilliance and transparency.
Apatite is challenging for lapidaries due to polishing difficulties and inherent inclusions, whose positioning impacts both beauty and value. With its innate beauty dependent on optimal cutting, Bahia Royal Apatite’s expertly faceted in the famous Indian gem city of Jaipur, home to some of the world’s best lapidaries. Optimally faceted, Bahia Royal Apatite’s carefully orientated to maximize its colorful brilliance, maintaining a high-polish/luster, as well as a good overall appearance (outline, profile, proportions, and shape).
A gemological chameleon, Apatite’s name comes from the Greek ‘apatao’ (to deceive) due to a historical confusion with other gemstones. Apatite’s propensity for deception even has its roots in Greek mythology. One of the spirits released from Pandora’s Box, Apate is the goddess of deceit, fraud and trickery. While its name is really about how Apatite can fool you, it does sound a bit like ‘appetite’ and there actually is a ‘hunger’ connection; a calcium phosphate, Apatite crystals are one of the components of teeth and bones in all vertebrate animals. Apatite is actually several different minerals depending on whether chlorine, fluorine, hydroxyl or strontium replaces the calcium.
Rarity
Typically colored by rare earth elements, Apatite is a gorgeous gem that occurs in blue, brown, gray, green, pink, purple, red, teal, violet, white, and yellow. While Apatite is an abundant mineral found in many countries, gem-quality crystals are extremely scarce and plagued by sporadic mining, with Brazil and Madagascar the main sources. Apatite’s inherent geological scarcity is also heightened by faceting difficulties.
First documented in 1877, Brazilian Apatite has been found in many states, including Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Gioás, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. However, mining is very limited, making it challenging to source. Worked since the 70s, Capim Grosso yields gemstones and mineral specimens for several varieties including, Apatite, Chalcedony, Opal, and even Sapphire. It is comprised of several mines including, the Lagoa do Mel, Mocambo (Pilar Farm), Pedras Altas, and Rio do Peixe claims.
With a crystal breakage rate of almost 20 percent during lapidary, the final yield from rough to faceted was only 6 percent, which is very low; the typical return on a gem mineral is 20 – 35 percent. While almost all Apatite gemstones are heated, Bahia Royal Apatite is totally natural and unenhanced, further accentuating desirability, rarity and value.
Durability & Care
A popular jewelry gemstone (Mohs’ Hardness: 5), Bahia Royal Apatite should always be stored carefully to avoid scuffs and scratches. Clean with gentle soap and lukewarm water, scrubbing behind the gem with a very soft toothbrush as necessary. After cleaning, pat dry with a soft towel or chamois cloth.
Map Location
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