Ca₅(PO₄)₃F

Fluorapatite (Ca₅(PO₄)₃F) is a fluorinated calcium phospate. These samples are on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. This sample is about 7 cm across and the gem is 51.4 carats. They are from Durango, Mexico.

Calcium phosphate in the form hydroxyapatite is the material from which teeth are made, and fluoridation of water is presumed to turn some of that calcium phosphate into fluorapatite. Fluorapatite is considerably harder than hydroxyapatite and is thought to provide a measure of protection against tooth decay.

The fluorapatite gem at left is 141 carats and is from Kenya. Next is a 31 carat gem from Magadi, Kenya. The next two are from Burma and are 28.8 and 14.7 carats.

These two fluorapatite samples are from Pulisfer quarry, Mt. Apatite, Auburn, Maine. The larger is about 8 cm across.

This sample is fluorapatite with elbaite and cookeite. It is about 10 cm across and is from Otjua mine, Karibib, Namibia.

This fluorapatite sample is from Campolindo, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is about 8 cm across.

This sample is fluorapatite with microcline. It is about 6 cm across and is from Ze Pinto prospect, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This is fluorapatite with quartz and siderite. It is about 6 cm across and is from Berengela mine, Cerro Grande, La Paz, Bolivia.

The sample above is fluorapatite with ferberite. It is about 15 cm across and is from Panasqueira, Portugal.

The fluorapatite sample at left is from Astillero mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. It is about 12 cm across.

The sample above is fluorapatite with epidote and actinolite. It is about 6 cm across and is from Untersulzbacktal, Salzburg, Austria.

The sample at left is fluorapatite with beryl and muscovite. It is about 15 cm across and is from Dassu, Northern Areas, Pakistan.

The fluorapatite sample at left is Pinzler Zug, Ehrenfriedersdorf, Sachsen, Germany. It is about 8 cm across.