Epidote

specimen number:
2102200

location:
Saline Valley, Inyo Co., California, USA

description:
Choice grouping of thick lustrous green terminated epidote crystals. Complete all around and in good condition.

Saline Valley, located within the Inyo Mountains of Inyo County, California, is a remote and rugged locality noted for its occurrence of well-crystallized epidote. Geologically, the region is characterized by extensive contact metamorphism where Mesozoic granitic plutons of the Sierra Nevada batholith intruded into Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, primarily limestones and marbles. This interaction created distinct skarn zones where dark green to pistachio-green epidote crystals developed as sharp, elongated prisms, often found in association with garnet, quartz, and calcite. Historically, the area was explored for various minerals, including borates, salt, and base metals, with small-scale mining and prospecting occurring sporadically from the late 1800s through the mid-20th century. While the valley is most famous for its historic salt tram and hot springs, it has remained a site of interest for mineral collectors seeking specimens from its complex metamorphic assemblages. Today, much of the area is contained within Death Valley National Park, which limits modern collecting but preserves the site as a significant example of California desert mineralogy.

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