Fluorapophyllite-K with Stilbite (SIL-0010)

specimen number:
9273192

location:
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India

description:
An aesthetic grouping of large glassy mostly gemmy fluorapophyllite crystals, these hosting a double terminated cluster of stilbite crystals. In great condition. complete all around. These are coming off of a stalactite of crystallized quartz.

Aurangabad, located in the north-central region of Maharashtra, India, is a prominent area situated within the vast Deccan Volcanic Province, where extensive industrial stone quarrying operations intersect with significant mineralogical discoveries. Geologically, the region is dominated by thick sequences of Cretaceous to Eocene-aged basaltic lava flows, locally termed Deccan Traps, which spread as horizontal beds of compact and vesicular basalt. Within the vesicular amygdaloidal units, ancient gas bubbles and fractures provided ideal cavities for low-temperature hydrothermal fluids to deposit a diverse suite of secondary minerals, including well-crystallized zeolites and related species such as stilbite, apophyllite, heulandite, and scolecite. While historical stone extraction for building materials in the area dates back centuries to the excavation of the nearby Ellora and Ajanta caves, modern commercial aggregate quarrying and mechanized stone crushing operations expanded dramatically in the mid-to-late twentieth century to support regional infrastructure development. These open-pit basalt quarries remain highly active today under various private and corporate leases overseen by state mining authorities, continuously exposing new mineral-bearing pockets during routine industrial blasting.

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