Fluorapatite

specimen number:
2062198

location:
Yates Mine, Otter Lake, Quebec, Canada

description:
Prismatic crystals of fluorapatite measuring to 3.8 cm in length set attractively up on an orange calcite matrix. Collected in August, 1999. In great condition.

The Yates Mine, located near Otter Lake in the Pontiac County of Quebec, Canada, is an internationally famous mineral locality situated within the Grenville Province. Geologically, the site features complex skarn zones formed by the contact of Precambrian marbles with syenitic and granitic pegmatites, which resulted in a diverse mineral assemblage of silicates, carbonates, and phosphates. The mine is most celebrated for its giant crystals, including fluorapatite, phlogopite, titanite, and deep purple fluorite, often hosted within a coarse-grained salmon-colored calcite matrix. Historically, the property was initially explored for mica and phosphate in the early 20th century, but it gained significant attention during the uranium boom of the 1950s. Between 1953 and 1956, Yates Uranium Mines Limited conducted extensive surface stripping and underground development, including the excavation of several adits and a shaft, to explore radioactive anomalies. While the site never achieved long-term commercial success as a uranium producer, it remains a premier destination for mineralogists and collectors due to the exceptional size and aesthetic quality of the specimens found in its weathered surface pits.

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