Fluorapatite (repaired)

specimen number:
2062182

location:
Comet Mine, Wakefield, Quebec, Canada

description:
An attractive light green double terminated grouping the fluorapatite crystals measuring 5.0 cm in length upon massive calcite. Like many of these, this has been repaired. In excellent condition. Collected in August, 1999.

The Comet Mine, located near Wakefield in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec, Canada, was a notable producer within the prolific mica and phosphate belt of the Gatineau Valley. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within Precambrian-aged pyroxenite dikes that intruded the surrounding metamorphic gneiss and marble of the Grenville Province. This environment facilitated the growth of large, high-quality "books" of phlogopite mica and lustrous crystals of green apatite, often found in association with pink calcite and dark pyroxene. Historically, the mine saw its most significant periods of activity during the early 20th century, specifically between 1910 and the early 1940s, when mica was in high demand for electrical insulation. While operations were relatively small-scale and often intermittent compared to the massive industrial mines of the region, the Comet Mine remains a classic Canadian locality for mineralogists and collectors, prized for its well-defined crystal specimens that typify the unique skarn-like mineralogy of the Gatineau region.

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