A natural apophyllite, stilbite, and red heulandite specimen from the Deccan Traps of Maharashtra, India, a vast field of ancient lava flows that covered much of western India near the end of the age of the dinosaurs. Pockets like the one this grew in are found when quarrying or well-digging breaks into gas cavities left in the basalt, revealing crystals that formed slowly inside. The apophyllite stands out in clear, blocky crystals, set against the softer stilbite and the iron-reddened heulandite.
Mineral: Apophyllite (KCa₄(Si₈O₂₀)(F,OH)·8H₂O), stilbite and heulandite (zeolite group aluminosilicates)
Crystal system: Apophyllite tetragonal; stilbite and heulandite monoclinic
Origin: Deccan Traps, Maharashtra, India
Hardness: 4.5 to 5 for apophyllite, 3 to 4 for the zeolites; a soft, delicate specimen, handle by the base
Treatment: None
Dimensions: 9.3 × 7.17 × 4.76 cm
Weight: 367 g
You'll receive the exact piece photographed.