blue apatite
boulder opal, apatite, & peridot choker
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| composition | calcium phosphate |
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| name source | from the Greek word apate or apaptos, meaning "to deceive" |
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| other accepted names | augustite, asparagus stone (for a greenish-yellow Spanish version) |
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| color | typically blue but also pale yellow, green, purple, and teal |
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| significant sources | Canada (Ontario), East Africa, Germany, Mexico (Durango), Russia (Kola Peninsula), Spain and Sweden |
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| MOH scale | 5 |
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| care and treatment | Relatively speaking, apatite is quite soft and therefore can scratch or even break, given the right amount of force -- it won't take a great deal of knocking about (one of the reasons that one seldom sees apatite set in rings). Clean with warm soapy water and store protected from sharp edges on other jewelry. |
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