Green Apatite Gemstone Quality Standard
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Gemrocks Apatite mining
In 2021, Gemrock staff members went rockhounding in the central Peruvian desert mountains and discovered an area with a very rich geology locating epidote, tourmaline, tourmaline in quartz, and apatite as possible minerals to be exploited for decor and jewelry products. The area produces small amounts of Apatite. Peruvian green Apatite can appear as big but brittle and cracked mass or in small more concise tube-shaped crystals.
Apatite is usually green in color but can be yellow, brown, blue, purple, pink, or colorless. These colors are often so vivid that apatite has frequently been cut as a gemstone.
Apatite is a brittle material, it breaks by both fracture and cleavage. However, at Gemrock Peru we have developed a method, which enables us to cut this material and provide you with amazingly beautiful cabochons.
Rarity
While Apatite is known to be a relatively frequent crystal accompanying Pyrite from Huanzala mine, it is very rare as cutting material. At Gemrock we posses a few kilos of such cuttable green apatite crystals that appeared as rare finds in our crystal mining project in the Andean foothills outside of Lima.
Color
Peruvian Apatite displays shades of green.
Color intensity:
Uniformity of color:
Impurities
Polishable
Peruvian Green Apatite is a very brittle material, but with care, it can be polished to glass-finish.
Cutting Quality
Challenges:
When apatite appears as a bigger mass the brittle and cracked state of the apatite makes it very hard to cut for an unexperienced cutter.
Top-cutting-quality is characterized by:
- a polished backside
- a sharp unchipped edge between the backside and the bezel
- a very straight and even highly polished bezel
- a sharp unchipped edge between the bezel and the dome.
- Top-quality polish
Availability
Our Apatite originates from a small find of cuttable apatite crystals during our own crystal mining operation. We can not guarantee to find more of this material. We only have a few kilograms of this material.
We do not sell the rough apatite. We offer to custom-cut a small quantity of crystals for interested jewelers. Other than that we will use the apatite in our own jewelry production.
Pricing
Adequate pricing must take into account the cost factors to obtain top-quality cabochons:
- Cuttable Apatite is very rare and nearly impossible to buy. Our apatite comes from a rare find during our crystal mining operation.
- A usual material loss of approximately 90 % of the material during the cutting and shaping process.
- The level of experience required by a cutter to produce cabochon from such a brittle material.
Products made with apatite
Jewelry & Cabuchons
Healing Stones
Decor
Cutting services
Do you need reliable high-quality cutting services for a reasonable price? Are you looking for a service provider that is willing to develop new products according to your requirements? Would you like to get expert advice in order to improve your product? Do you wish for someone to optimize the process and get the most out of your rough? Just talk to us.
Get in Touch
+51 994104206
gemrockinternational@gmail.com