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Mineral
of the Month--September
2008
Delaware Fluorapatite
Calcium Halophosphate
Ca5(PO4)3F
"Delaware
Fluorapatite"
By Ken Casey
Preface
"See you in
September" was our sign-off phrase after our club's June Picnic in
Delaware, fellow
rockhounds! This month, our
Mineral-of-the-Month
takes us to two former outcrop
locales in New
Castle County's Piedmont Province, and stops to two local museums to see
our Fluorapatite!
Summer is winding down, yet after some downpours from
tropical storm Hanna, a warm and
pleasant day greets us for our fieldtrip today, so
Let's go!
Introduction
Delaware's Piedmont Province holds
a variety of minerals in it's folds. On past MOTM trips,
we have visited the grander, basic constituents of our geological
heritage. Now, we embark on
a journey to discover some our rarer treasures, one of which is Delaware
Fluorapatite.
So come on along, we have a Delaware
Fluorapatite fieldtrip to make!
Over
the past two-and-a-half years we have covered most of Delaware's
macro-sized minerals.
We have only a handful of those left to cover over the next few months,
then we will hit upon a
few of the micro-sized grains. We've saved this most colorful
mineral as a beacon for rockhounds.
A patriotic reason is that Delaware Fluorapatite
occurs in a bright blue color similar to the field
of our State Flag. It is nearly the blue of the Blue & Gold,
colors for the University of Delaware, and
for the Fightin' Blue Hens!
Delaware Fluorapatite creates the opportunity for a fieldtrip, so please do
join us!
What's in a name?
Fluorapatite
A member of the Apatite
family, this Calcium fluophosphate has chemical formula Ca5(PO4)3F,
and crystallizes in the Hexagonal System. In Delaware, it forms
veinlets and sometimes as small
crystals.
As part of the phosphorous
cycle,
We all carry some Apatite
with us daily. Either in our teeth or bones, Calcium phosphate (as
hydroxyapatite) supports us daily, as we rockhound our First State.
If our dentist recommends
fluoridated water or toothpaste, he or she might expect its application
to strengthen teeth by converting
plain Calcium phosphate into a harder fluorapatite. And, harder
teeth resist decay.
In essence, as Delawareans,
we might be creating new Fluorapatite to enjoy daily.
As
Pale blue mineral veins hide in some of New Castle
County’s Piedmont pegmatites—they
are the Delaware mineral Fluorapatite. It is commonly found in
most igneous rocks, especially
pegmatites and hydrothermal veins.
In Delaware, it forms veinlets and sometimes as small
crystals.
It is difficult to find
collecting locales, as most areas have been covered over by housing
developments in the north, though DGS core samples and sediment studies
have produced
specimens statewide. Macro specimens have been found at two
historic locales: the Brandywine
Quarry, where Apatite crystals were found, and Fluorapatite vein
remnants at the Ramsey Run Mine
Dump—both in Wilmington. The Delaware Geological Survey has a
sample on display in the Newark
office. (See: photo)
Our MOTM format will continue to offer us
information on two places we can visit to learn more
about minerals, such as this month's Iron Hill Museum, which contains
several specimens of our
Delaware Fluorapatite.
Our second museum
As Delaware Fluorapatite
Delaware Minerals List
at mindat.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorapatite
http://webmineral.com/data/Fluorapatite.shtml
Here is where DMS
Members can add their Delaware Fluorapatite photos to share with us.
Until Next Time
We hope you have enjoyed our historic visit to
Delaware Fluorapatite. Please join
us next month, for another article, and we shall journey together!
Until then, stay
safe, and happy collecting.
Article Contributors
I
would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions of our
fellow Delaware
Garnet enthusiasts, collectors, authors, curators, professionals, and
club members who
made this work possible.
Thanks.
Arthur Koch, DMS Member, B. S. in Geology,
Mineral Photographer
Nenad Spoljaric and Robert Jordan, Thomas E. Pickett,
Delaware Geological Survey
Gem Trails cover by Mark Webber
©2008 All contributions to this
article are covered under the copyright protection of this article
and by separate and several copyright protection(s), and are to be used
for the sole purposes of
enjoying this scholarly article. They are used gratefully with
express written permission of the
authors, save for generally-accepted scholarly quotes, short in nature,
deemed legal to reference
with the appropriate citation and credit. Reproduction
of this article must be obtained by express
written permission of the author, Kenneth B. Casey, for his
contributions, authoring, photos, and
graphics. Use of all other credited materials requires permission
of each contributor separately.
Links and general contact information are included in the credits above,
and throughout this article.
The advice offered herein are only suggestions; it is the reader's
charge to use the information
contained herein responsibly. DMS is not responsible for misuse or
accidents caused from this
article. All opinions, theories, proofs, and views expressed within this
article, and in others on this
website, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Delaware
Mineralogical Society.
Suggested Reading:
Delaware Piedmont Geology including a guide to the rocks of
Red Clay Valley
by Margaret O. Plank and William S. Schenck
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About the Author:
Ken is current webmaster of the Delaware
Mineralogical Society.
He has a diploma in Jewelry Repair, Fabrication &
Stonesetting from the Bowman Technical School, Lancaster,
PA, and worked as jeweler.
He has also studied geology at the University of
Delaware.
And, he is currently a member of the Delaware
Mineralogical Society and the Franklin-Ogdensburg
Mineralogical Society. E-mail:
kencasey98@yahoo.com.
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Invitation to Members
Members,
Want to see your name in
print? Want to co-author, contribute, or
author a whole
Mineral of the Month
article? Well, this the forum for you!
And Members, if you have
pictures, or a story you would like to share,
please feel free to offer. We'd like to
post them for our mutual enjoyment.
Of course, you get full photo and author credit,
and a chance to reach other collectors,
hobbyists, and scientists. We only ask
that you check your facts, give credit where it
is due, keep it wholesome for our Junior Members
watching, and keep on topic regarding
rockhounding.
You don't even have to be
experienced in making a webpage. We can
work together to publish your story. A
handwritten short story with a Polaroid will do.
If you do fancier, a text document with a
digital photo will suit, as well.
Sharing is the groundwork from which we can get
your story out there.
Our
club's webpages can reach any person surfing the
net in the world, and even on the International
Space Station, if they have a mind to view our
website!
We
are hoping for a possible tie-in to other
informative programs upon which our fellow
members might want to collaborate. Contact
any officer or board member with your
suggestions.
Our next
MOTM
will be a surprise.
For 2008, we are waiting for your suggestions.
What minerals do
you
want to know more about?
____________________________________
Most of the
Mineral of the
Month
selections have come from most recent club
fieldtrips and March Show Themes, and from
inspriring world locales, and suggestions by our
members, thus far. If you have a
suggestion for a future
Mineral of the
Month, please e-mail me at:
kencasey98@yahoo.com, or tell me at our
next meeting.
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Next Meeting |
Annual Picnic, Swap & Sell, and
"Dinner and a Short Film"
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General Club Meeting: |
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June 13,
2011 |
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(Monday) |
We are meeting at
The Greenbank Mill, Wilmington, DE
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Special Meetings:
*Show Committee Meeting, September 2011
*New Home/Lapidary Committee, 2011
*Board Meeting,
Spring 2011
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Next Field Trips |
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Fieldtrips!
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Past Fieldtrips |
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Next EFTA Trips |
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For more info: |
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EFTA |
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Next Show |
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DMS March Show |
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March 3-4, 2012 |
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Our 2011 Show Theme:
"Metals from Earth and Beyond!"
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March Show 2011
Report |
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Updates!
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Articles |
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Fossil
Forum
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"Dinny,
the Dino"
"Belemnites
are coming"
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MOTM June
It's shiny, yellow, and
is a symbol of 50 Years!Can you guess?
(And, oh yeah, we had a
Raffle
for Attendees of 2 specimens!)
MOTM July
MOTM
August
Past
MOTM
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Collecting
Adventure Stories:
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"Sunny
Brook Crick Goethite" by Joe Dunleavy
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Delaware
State Flag