4.8" Apophyllite Crystals after Chabazite with Stilbite - India

This is a 4.8" wide association of clear apophyllite after red chabazite crystals. Interspersed are peach stilbite crystals that provide a nice color break in the specimen. Apophyllite after chabazite is a rather uncommon find in the natural world, making this piece quite a jewel in any collector's cabinet. The specimen was collected in Maharashtra, India.

Comes with an acrylic display stand to assist with presentation.

This specimen comes from the Deccan Traps, a large igneous province and one of the largest volcanic features on Earth, near the city of Pune in western India. As miners quarry for other materials or dig wells, they sometimes unearth large pockets of zeolites and other minerals in the volcanic rock.

Stilbite is probably the most common zeolite found in these deposits. Crystals often form flowery, bowtie. or hourglass-shaped structures and come in a variety of colors. Some of the most beautiful colorations are the pink or peach tints. While not a zeolite itself, apophyllite is almost always found associated with zeolites in the same pockets. It has two crystal habits: a rectangular prism capped by a steep four-sided pyramid, or a pseudo-cubic structure. While not a well-known mineral to the general public, it is popular among mineral collectors due to its pastel colors and beautiful crystal formations.

Chabazite is the name for a series of minerals that include chabazite-Ca, chabazite-K, chabazite-Mg, chabazite-Na and chabazite-Sr. The variety of the crystal is dependent on the cation present during formation (Ca, K, Mg, Na or Sr). The red chabazite is commonly a calcium-dominant variety (chabazite-ca), the most prevalent of the chabazite series. Crystals usually exhibit a rhombohedral habit and can display a variety of colors including red, orange, yellow, and colorless.

Chavazite's general chemical formula is (Ca,K2,Na2)2[Al2Si4O12]2 · 12H2O.

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DETAILS
SPECIES
Apophyllite, Chabazite & Stilbite
LOCATION
Maharashtra, India
SIZE
4.8 x 4"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#176824