Fluorapophyllite--That's an Odd Name!

     Fluorapophyllite certainly does have a strange name. Believe it or not its name is actually quite new. Fluorapophyllite belongs to a group of minerals that were all once thought to be one mineral, which was called apophyllite. When scientists realized that these minerals slightly differed because of their chemical makeup they renamed the individual minerals and the name "apophyllite" was given to the mineral group. The individual apophyllite minerals were renamed by combining the name apophyllite with the name of the chemical component that is unique to the individual mineral. For example, the apophyllite mineral that was rich in fluorine was renamed fluorapophyllite. The name apophyllite is composed of the Greek words apo, meaning “off” or “detached” and phyllon, meaning “leaf.” It was given this name because of its tendency to flake apart when heated.
     Fluorapophyllite has a very complex crystal structure. One form of fluorapophyllite crystal looks like a six-sided die that has had all of its faces’ corners cut off. The other looks like an octahedral prism (that is, it looks like two pyramids connected at the base.) The caps of these pyramids are intact, but all other corners are cut off. Fluorapophyllite is either translucent or transparent and is usually white or colorless. It can also be pale green, gray, yellow, or red. When broken or cut, fluorapophyllite can reflect sun in such a way as to have a grayish blue, pearly luster; so it is sometimes called “fish-eye stone.”
     Fluorapophyllite has no technological uses and has only limited use in jewelry. The only real use that people have discovered for the mineral is as a nice addition to rock and mineral collections.
     Fluorapophyllite is an unusual mineral, but in my opinion “unusual” can be just another word for “intriguing.” Fluorapophyllite is certainly intriguing…now if we could just come up with name for it that’s easier to spell!