Chlorapatite
Mineral Ca5(PO4)3Cl
About it
The chlorine-rich apatite, less common than fluorapatite, mostly from layered igneous rocks and some metamorphic deposits. Classic crystals come from the Bamble district of Norway.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Phosphate, apatite group
- Formula
- Ca5(PO4)3Cl
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5
- Specific gravity
- 3.1–3.2
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), resinous
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Colours
- white, yellowish, greenish, pink, colourless
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- poor basal; conchoidal fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.