Fluorapatite Crystal on matrix - Height: 75 mm - Width: 48 mm- 67 g - (1)

This pristine piece comes from the legendary Panasqueira mines in Portugal. It is a micaceous matrix plate on which sits a dense population of more than twenty-five apatite crystals, notable for their impeccable hexagonal prismatic habit. The coloration of the specimens ranges from a delicate icy blue to gray tones, revealing zoned color centers and an internal transparency that allows one to appreciate the purity of fluorapatite.

From a crystallographic point of view, the crystals exhibit perfectly defined pinacoidal terminations and lateral faces with sharp growth striations, characteristics of paused crystallization in a hydrothermal environment. The visual contrast is superb: the verticality of the apatite prisms disrupts the leafy and brilliant texture of muscovite, creating a dynamic and balanced mineralogical architecture. This piece is not only a testament to one of the world’s most prestigious type localities, but a showroom specimen whose crystal density and aesthetics place it as a must-have piece for a high-level collection.