Product Description
Fluorapatite Crystal with Unknown Radioisotope(s) – Canada – 192 Grams
Size: 53x48x46mm
Weight: 192 grams
Formula: Ca10(PO4)6F2
Locality: Yates Mine, Otter Lake, Pontiac RCM, Outaouais, Québec, Canada
Please see the video at the bottom of this description.
Fluorapatite (natural calcium fluorophosphate) is a thermoluminescent phosphate mineral. This means it emits visible light when heated. Over geological timescales, exposure to natural background radiation knocks electrons out of their ground states. These electrons become trapped in structural defects or lattice vacancies within the crystal framework. When the mineral is heated (typically between 100 and 450 degrees celsius), the thermal energy allows these trapped electrons to escape and drop back to a lower energy state. This transition releases the stored energy as visible light, often glowing in bright yellow, green, or blue-violet shades. This specimen has not been heated.
While synthetic fluorapatite is not inherently radioactive, natural specimens are frequently mildly radioactive due to chemical substitutions within their crystal structure.
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