Apatite is actually three different minerals depending on the predominance of either fluorine, chlorine or the hydroxyl group. The rather non-inventive names of these minerals are Fluorapatite, Chlorapatite and Hydroxylapatite. The three are usually considered together due to the difficulty in distinguishing them in hand samples using ordinary methods.

Apatite is typically found as a green crystal but also can be found in yellow, blue, reddish brown and purple. It has a Moh hardness of 5, and can occasionaly be found with rutile inlcusions, which will give the stone a "cat's eye" effect.

Apatite is widely distributed in all rock types; igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic, but is usually just small disseminated grains or cryptocrystalline fragments. Large well formed crystals though can be found in certain contact metamorphic rocks. The best specimens of Apatite are often cut as gemstones.

A strand of Apatite beads.

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