Apatite, Kulanite

This specimen features a small plate covered in clear apatite and patches of tabular green-black kulanite, a rare phosphate from the renowned Rapid Creek locality in the Yukon. Due to extreme winter conditions, Rapid Creek is accessible only briefly each summer, and collecting is particularly challenging due to the rugged terrain and swarms of insects.

Initially explored for blue lazurite, the area has since produced over 70 mineral species, including eight type localities like gormanite. Specimens from this remote region are highly sought after, and this well-crystallized piece is a fine example of the exceptional minerals found there. For more details, see The Mineralogical Record, Vol. 23, No. 4 (1992).