Specimen data for Apatite-CaOH

Tom Mortimer catalog number: U890

Identification method: In New Hampshire, Apatite-CaOH is typically found pegmatite hydrothermal veins with quartz. The crystals in this photo are totally surrounded by milky quartz. Chalky-white Apatite crystals are somewhat more likely to be of the Hydroxal variety than the Fluoro variety. The EDS plot below, on an instrument with light element resolution of oxygen and fluorine, shows this Valencia Mine apatite to be the Apatite-(CaOH) species. No fluorine response is evident. Apatite-(CaOH) EDS plot.

Notes: See mindat thread http://www.mindat.org/mesg-11-131931.html for a discussion of Apatite-(CaF) vs. Apatite-(CaOH).