AUGELITE
Specimen aul-1
$ 205.00Dims: 3.0" x 2.4" x 1.5" (7.6 x 6.1 x 3.8 cm)
Wt: 4.90 oz. (139.0 g)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
The dark gray-brown host rock of this specimen contains several different mineral constituents, but the most noticeable is a cluster of pale-green crystals of Augelite, an uncommon aluminum phosphate hydroxide. None of these cryastals exceeds 0.3" (8 mm) in any dimension, but all are in generally excellent condition, as there is very little damage visible on any of the crystals. They occur in a monoclinic prismatic form that has sharp edges and smooth, clean faces which show a bright, vitreous luster. All of the crystals have a pale green coloration that appears to be deeper in some parts of each crystal than in others. These areas of deeper color also seem to correspond to increased clarity in each cryastal; most of the material in a given crystal will be a very pale green color and will be milky and translucent, whereas the portions that have a deeper green color are also transparent and relatively clear. The Augelite crystals rest on a rather flat face in the host rock, which is also partially covered by sub-microscopic siderite crystals. More and larger siderites are visible on the other side of the host rock, along with some visible lazulite-bearing layers in the host.