How to distinguish apatite from a fake?

Apatite is one of the most common on earth. Apatite can be found even in everyday life. It has been used for quite some time in the manufacture of jewelry. But why is apatite called the stone of deception? What properties and price does it have?

What kind of stone

• Blue
• Yellow
• Pink
• Green
• Red
• Blue
• Colorless

Thus, bluish apatite is common in Scandinavia, where it was called moroxite.

In sunny Spain, such a mineral was yellow and was called asparagus.

Scientists distinguish the following groups of apatites:

• Chloropatites
• Fluorapatites
• Carbonatapatites
• Hydroxylapamites
• Fluorocarbonate apatite

Depending on the amount of a particular chemical element, the group to which a particular stone belongs is determined. The mineral itself is quite fragile. It may even dissolve under the influence of special chemicals. However, it is worth noting that it is very difficult to melt.

Apatite has several areas of application:

• Industry. It is used quite rarely in jewelry because of its fragility. However, this material is often used in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, as well as in the production of glass and some types of ceramics.
• Agriculture. Widely used in the manufacture of fertilizers.
• Collecting. Due to its aesthetic qualities, apatite can be found in many hobbyist collections. It is stored only in cut form. The largest piece was found in Kenya; it weighed 147 carats. This is a huge rarity.

Place of Birth

Deposits of this mineral in large reserves can rarely be found. In Russia, the largest deposit is located on the Kola Peninsula. It is called Khibinsky. Apatite deposits are known in Yakutia, the Baikal region and Buryatia, but there are fewer of them there.

This mineral is also actively mined in Germany, the Czech Republic, Algeria, the USA, Egypt, and Brazil.

Stone properties

Apatite, like many other minerals, has its own characteristics. For some, the magical side is important, and for others, the healing side. Therefore, it is worth talking about both.

Magic

Apatites are those stones that very quickly become attached to a new person with their energy. It is worth saying that it is not suitable for every person. If you want to remove jewelry with this mineral or get rid of it, then it is best to do this as quickly as possible. Most often, apatite becomes a friend to its owner. It can attract prophetic dreams. In addition, the mineral can warn its owner about impending failures. To find out about this, you need to pay attention to the shine of the stone more often.

Experts attribute to apatite such qualities as peace. They say that the stone can be a good energetic protection for a person.

Healing

Among the healing properties, apatite is credited with the ability to influence:

• Thyroid gland
• Eyes
• Cardiovascular system
• Digestive tract

It is believed that infusions of this stone help against various diseases. Apatite of a specific color has a specific purpose. So, to improve the health of children, it is better to use blue stone; it also helps with breathing problems.

Who is suitable for a stone according to the sign of the zodiac?

Experts believe that apatite is suitable specifically for those people who belong to the fire element. These are Sagittarius, Aries and Leo. Since the mineral has the ability to calm, it is best suited for curbing the tough temperament of these zodiac signs.

It will also help in choosing the right solution. Apatite will protect its ardent owner from hasty conclusions and decisions that are made on emotions.

It is worth noting that apatite is completely unsuitable for Pisces. This zodiac sign will become more lazy and apathetic.

How to distinguish from a fake?

Apatite itself is rarely counterfeited. It does not have such a high price that there would be a motive to counterfeit it. However, there are cases when glass is counterfeited to look like apatite. Most often, people confuse the mineral itself with another gemstone, such as tourmaline or topaz.

They may be similar in color, but apatite is more fragile and easily damaged. It is worth checking the product for strength. If even the slightest scratch appears, then you can be sure that they are trying to deceive the person.

Stone care

As already mentioned, this mineral is very fragile. From the slightest impact it can lose its shine and significance. The stone should be stored in a special place where there are no hard walls.

Apatite must be protected from external influences. So it is better to avoid doing household chores while wearing jewelry with it. Do not wash dishes or use any chemicals. They can easily destroy the mineral. This way, proper care will preserve the beauty of the stone for many years.

Special acids are also created from apatite and
chemical reagents.

Price

The price of this gemstone is quite variable. It depends on many factors, such as size, processing method, quality and color. So beads 25 – 35 cm long can cost from 800 to 1200 rubles. Why? Stone processing will not require additional materials. The cut is not complicated, and the color is quite common.

It is worth noting that other apatite products can cost much more. For example, a special green apatite and a piece of jewelry made from it weighing 10 carats can have a price of $1000.

Interesting video

The geological concept of “blende” is associated with rocks that imitate various nuggets. One of these “ardent deceivers” is apatite, as even the name of this mineral indicates. It contains calcium phosphate and pure calcium, which together form beautiful and regular geometric crystals of large sizes, similar to precious gems. Apatite aggregates can weigh hundreds of kilograms! But not all stones are suitable for jewelry. Small transparent crystals are considered the highest quality. And only a few of them are pure enough and suitable for cutting and making jewelry.

Content скрыть

• 1 Apatite deposits
• 2 History of apatite
• 3 Record apatite
• 4 Physico-chemical characteristics of apatite
• 5 Types of apatite
• 6 Magical properties of apatite
• 7 Healing properties of apatite
• 8 Industries of application of apatite
• 9 Colors of apatite
• 10 How to distinguish real apatite from a fake
• 11 How to care for apatite
• 12 Apatite and zodiac sign
• 13 Prices for apatite products
• 14 Interesting facts about apatite:

Apatite deposits

Large deposits of apatite are rare. The largest known one is located on the Kola Peninsula (Russia), where there are deposits of apatite ore that contain fluorapatite and nepheline (apatite nepheline ores). Large apatite crystals (moroxites) are mined in Transbaikalia.

In addition, apatite is mined in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, USA, Chile, South Africa, Finland, Spain, and Norway.

History of apatite

The first scientific description of apatites was made at the end of the 18th century by the scientist A.G. Werner, who proposed a name for the stone. The word “apatite” is of ancient Greek origin and is translated as “I deceive.” It indicates that natural apatite is extremely diverse and can superficially resemble other stones, such as beryl, diopside and tourmaline. A diagnostic feature of apatite is the prismatic shape of its crystals and relatively low hardness.

Record apatite

The largest high-quality apatite crystal was discovered in Kenya. Its weight was 147 carats.

Physico-chemical characteristics of apatite

In terms of their chemical composition, apatites belong to mixed calcium phosphates. As additional elements, apatite often contains fluorine, chlorine, manganese, iron, strontium, aluminum, thorium, and rare earth elements.

The shape of the mineral crystals is varied: from prismatic to needle-shaped, less often short-columnar or tabular. Apatites are characterized by the presence of granular sugar-like aggregates, dense masses, radial and columnar aggregates. The fine-fiber structure is much less common.

Pure apatite crystals are colorless, completely transparent or translucent. Their color depends on the composition of impurities, for example, iron gives the mineral a smoky or yellowish tone, blue and green apatites contain manganese and lead.

The gem is characterized by the manifestation of luminescence, due to which it changes its color from different viewing angles. Blue and yellow examples are often decorated with a cat’s eye effect.

The hardness of apatite on the Mohs scale is 5, which is quite low for jewelry processing and requires careful handling of the stone.

Types of apatite

There are several varieties of apatite according to their chemical composition: fluorapatites, chlorapatites, hydroapatites.

In fact, it is very difficult to classify this mineral, since there are a huge number of its natural modifications with different colors and transparency.

The magical properties of apatite

All owners of jewelry and talismans with apatite are guaranteed to prevent serious upheavals in life. This gem causes prophetic dreams to appear; it endows its owner with insight and a strong intuitive awareness of dangerous situations.

Interestingly, if the stone is worn on the body, it begins to behave very actively. For example, when danger approaches, the skin that comes into contact with the stone begins to become irritated, itchy and red. And if at the same time there is a desire to get rid of the decoration, it means that the danger has reached its maximum. Still, it’s not worth parting with apatite. It is believed that when a stone is separated from its owner, it loses all its properties and becomes a dull and colorless piece of rock.

But apatite cannot damage, so it has never been used in black magic rituals.

Healing properties of apatite

For the healing properties of apatite to manifest, it must be combined with other healing minerals. For example, crystals of yellow and brown shades in combination with other similar minerals stimulate the heart, and if blue apatites are combined with aquamarines, they will help a lecturer or singer.

The harmonization of the human condition is facilitated by the combination of intensely blue apatites with jewelry made of rock crystal and diamonds.

With the help of green apatites, depression and depressed states are treated. Blue-green crystals have a calming and peaceful effect.

Applications of apatite

Non-gem quality apatite is a raw material in the production of phosphate fertilizers, phosphorus compounds and phosphate acid. The mineral is used in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, for the production of ceramics and glass.

Jewelers use apatite quite rarely, which is due to its low hardness and fragility. Typically, gem-quality apatites barely reach 5 carats, and extremely rarely – 20 carats. As a rule, such samples are an object of collector’s interest, especially if they are well cut, translucent and transparent.

Apatite colors

The color palette of apatites is very diverse. Transparent stones of light purple or pink color are considered one of the most beautiful. The most common are blue and green.

How to distinguish real apatite from a fake

Apatite itself is not counterfeited, but the gem itself, even the name of which is translated as “deception,” is quite often confused with tourmalines, topazes, beryls, amethysts, diopsides and aquamarines. The main difference between apatite and precious and semi-precious stones is its low hardness.

How to care for apatite

Like all relatively soft and fragile stones, apatite needs to be treated very carefully, protected from mechanical influences, shocks and scratches. Jewelry with apatite should not be left exposed to direct sunlight for a long time.

Clean apatite using a damp soft cloth.

Apatite and zodiac sign

More than any other, apatite is suitable for representatives of the signs of the fire element – Leo, Sagittarius and Aries. It brings them only benefit. But, for example, the gem is not recommended for Pisces, since its calming effect can only hinder this balanced sign.

Prices for apatite products

Considering the varied properties and quality of apatites, their prices also vary widely. For example, transparent, clean samples with a beautiful cut are valued at 2-3 dollars per carat. Heterogeneous stones with defects are valued much lower. Beads are often made from them. The cheapest specimens of apatite are those that are ground into cabochons. Such stones are opaque and layered. Pendants and other small jewelry are made from fractured apatites, the cost of which is very low.

Interesting facts about apatite:

• Apatites are the main inorganic component of bones and teeth in vertebrates and humans.
• Kidney stones often consist of apatites.