Best-known for coming in almost every shade of blue, Apatite is a rare, beautiful gemstone that has become firmly established in the last few decades. As attested by the increasing popularity of Madagascan Green Apatite’s all-natural, brilliant forest greens, it is today, a highly-coveted jewelry gemstone. Undeniably one of the world’s most attractive gems, Apatite for many, will always be the goddess that thankfully found its way out of a box! The only question is whether the colors that boosted its popularity will be available in the years to come…
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 green among the most expensive and popular colors in the gem kingdom. Madagascan Green Apatite displays bright intense greens with a highly-desirable medium saturation and tone. 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 the lapidary due to polishing difficulties and inherent inclusions, whose positioning impacts both beauty and value. Optimal lapidary is absolutely critical to fully realize Apatite’s unique beauty. Expertly faceted, well-polished Apatite has a premium quality and ours are optimally faceted by experienced lapidaries, who carefully orientate each crystal to maximize its colorful brilliance, maintaining a high-polish/luster, and an attractive 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 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, 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.
Madagascan Green Apatite comes from deposits near Andranomaro in Madagascar’s southern Tuléar (Toliara) Province that were discovered in 1995. The geological scarcity of Apatite’s top greens is accentuated by faceting difficulties. While almost all Apatite gemstones are heated, Madagascan Green Apatite is totally natural and unenhanced, further accentuating its rarity.
Durability & Care
A popular jewelry gemstone (Mohs’ Hardness: 5), Madagascan Green 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
Click map to enlarge
