Actinolite

specimen number:
2072290

location:
Greiner, Tyrol, Austria

description:
Lustrous green prismatic crystals of actinolite measuring to over 4.0 cm in length frozen throughout matrix. Good example for the species and classic locality. The specimen comes with a previous data card from the collection of Renard Vochten. This is shown at the end of the video.

The Greiner mountain area, specifically the Grosser Greiner in the Zillertal Alps of Tyrol, Austria, is a classic alpine locality situated within the Tauern Window. Geologically, the region is characterized by high-grade metamorphic rocks, including greenschists and amphibolites, where alpine-type fissures formed during the uplift of the Central Alps. These fissures are famous for producing exceptional specimens of actinolite, a green, needle-like silicate mineral that often occurs as long, lustrous, prismatic crystals or fibrous aggregates embedded in talc or quartz. Historically, while the rugged terrain prevented large-scale industrial quarrying, the area has been a site for traditional "strahlers" (crystal hunters) for centuries, with documented mineral collecting dating back to the 1700s. There were small-scale mining efforts for asbestos and talc in the broader Ziller Valley during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the Greiner is most significant as a protected and world-renowned mineralogical site. As of 2026, it remains a premier reference locality for alpine actinolite, though collecting is strictly regulated to preserve the natural heritage of the Tyrolean landscape.

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