Apatite spectra

Apatite Visible Spectra (350 - 1100 nm)

The origin of color in apatite is often associated with the rare earth elements. Nd is often the most abundant rare earth element in apatite. Manganese is associated with the deep violet apatites. Many apatites owe part of their color to natural radiation induced color centers involving ions such as SiO₃^- (green) and SO₃^- (blue).

Images of representative apatite spectra

Amber-yellow Apatite

These show prominent rare-earth lines in the spectrum

Pale amber-yellow apatite; GRR 1771, from Durango, Mexico. 4.25 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c
Greenish-yellow apatite; Hybla, Ontario, Canada. 1.28 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c
Yellow-green apatite; LACMNH 10624, from the Silver Crater Mine, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada. 1.26 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c

Green and Blue Apatites

Dark green apatite; GRR 1724, from the Fission Mine, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada. 3.84 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c;
Sky blue apatite spectrum;Orginally stated to be from a neodymium-rich carbonatite rock in Kenya, but more likely to have actually come from northern Madagascar . This sample was most likely heat-treated to turn it from green to blue. 2.53 mm thick. Data Files: unoriented
Medium greenish blue apatite; From Buckingham, Quebec, Canada. 3.00 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c
Medium bluish-green apatite; From Buckingham, Quebec, Canada. The differences between the greenish-blue sample above and this one are subtle. 2.50 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c

Deep Blue Apatites

Deep blue apatite spectrum; Hugo Mine, Keystone, South Dakota. 0.191 mm thick. This color is ascribed to MnO₄^3- subsituting in the PO₄^3- site. Data Files: unoriented

Pale Lavender Apatites

Light purple apatite; LACOM 21795, from Pennington, South Dakota, USA. 2.57 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c
Light lavender apatite; LACOM 18307, from Paris, Oxford County, Maine. 2.19 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c

Pink Apatites

Pink apatite; GRR 3013, (picture), Maple Lode pegmatite, San Diego County, California, USA. 5.30 mm thick. Data Files: E⊥c; E\\c

Compare these data to the data published by Gilinskaya & Mashkovtsev (1995)

Blue; from Slyudyanka, Siberia, Russia. Color ascribed to SO₃^-. [Link to a picture]
Bottle green; from Aldan, Russia. Color ascribed to Nd, Pr, Ce plus SiO₃^-.
Dark blue; from Karelia, Russia. Color ascribed to MnO₄^3-.
Yellowish; from Lovozero. Color ascribed to Pr, Nd, and a band at 520 nm. from Lovozero.
Nearly colorless from Vishneyve Gory.

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last upgraded: March 2, 2013