Fluorapophyllite with Stilbite

specimen number:
2013645

location:
Pune, Maharashtra, India

description:
Crystals of stilbite measuring to 3.0 cm in size on matrix with many glassy gemmy colorless crystals of fluorapophyllite. This is in good condition.

The Pune district, located in the Maharashtra state of western India, is globally famous for producing world-class zeolite and phyllosilicate mineral specimens, most notably the association of green fluorapophyllite-K with peach-colored stilbite. Geologically, these minerals are found within the amygdaloidal cavities and gas vesicles of the Deccan Traps, a massive flood basalt province that formed during a series of volcanic eruptions at the end of the Cretaceous period. As the thick basalt flows cooled, hydrothermal fluids rich in silica, calcium, and potassium circulated through the voids, precipitating magnificent crystals of fluorapophyllite-K and bow-tie aggregates of stilbite-Ca. Historically, these specimens are not recovered through traditional metal mining, but rather as a byproduct of massive basalt quarrying for road construction and building materials that accelerated during the mid-20th century. Major quarrying centers such as Pashan, Wagholi, and Lonavala became legendary among mineralogists between the 1960s and the early 2000s for their consistent output of museum-quality clusters. Through 2026, the ongoing expansion of Pune's infrastructure continues to expose new mineralized pockets in active basalt quarries, maintaining the region's status as a premier global source for these iconic Indian zeolites.

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