Blue apatites are little stones that are hardly found in jewelry stores. Nevertheless, its variety of colors and shapes make it the wish of most experienced collectors. Often confused with other gems like tourmaline or topaz, the word apatite comes from the Greek and means “cheat”.
Apatites can be colorless, but they can also be found in other beautiful colors like blue, green, and violet. The color is what determines its value. The intense violet variety is the rarest, while the green variety, also known as asparagus stone, and the blue variety are popularly found in Brazil.
Among the most famous specimens of apatite is the Paraiba tourmaline. Geologist Hector Dimas was the one who found this gem after exploring the summits of the Brazilian state of Paraiba for six years. In 1987, he finally found a unique and incredible stone of incomparable vibrant blue, which recalled the color of the ocean.
Blue with electrifying green flashes, Paraíba apatite is incomparable. After studies were performed, it was found that its enigmatic color is due to the special concentration of copper in its composition.
Generally, even its extraction process is precious, since dynamite is not used to speed the process. It is all done manually, slowly removing the rock formation that protects this beautiful gem.
Another general characteristic of apatites is that they typically weigh less than 1 carat, because the ones that were found were only small. However, because of its strange rarity, apatite can cost from $ 5,000 to $ 60,000 per carat.
In addition to shine like a precious stone, apatites have allowed us to find some answers about the beginning of the times. Specifically after apatite was found in Brazil, in 2001, similar specimens were found in Africa. Experts pointed out that according with the theory of continental drift proposed by Alfred Wagener, three million years ago, the planet had a displacement of its territories, and was divided into what we know today as continents.
Blue apatite is associated with communication, creativity, and clarity of ideas. It is used as a stone of luck, because for different beliefs, it is able to create a connection with the past, allowing for the development of psychic powers. Blue apatite has always amazed people, and despite of its rarity, it has been considered a valuable gem.
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