Scolecite

specimen number:
2072279

location:
Nashik, Maharashtra, India

description:
Colorless gemmy prismatic terminated crystals of scolecite in clusters measuring to 7.5 cm in height coming off matrix. Typical of these slight damage present, this still in good condition especially one considers the size of the piece a number of crystals present. Minor fluorapophyllite is present as well.

The quarries around Nashik, located in the Maharashtra state of India, are situated within the massive Deccan Traps, one of the largest volcanic provinces in the world. Geologically, these deposits consist of thick layers of Cretaceous to Eocene-age basaltic lava flows characterized by numerous gas bubbles, or vesicles, that were later filled by hydrothermal fluids to form secondary zeolite minerals. The area is globally famous for producing world-class specimens of scolecite, a calcium-rich member of the zeolite group that typically forms as delicate, radiating sprays of colorless to white acicular (needle-like) crystals. Historically, the extraction of these minerals is a byproduct of extensive industrial quarrying for basalt, which is used as crushed stone and aggregate for India's infrastructure development. While organized stone quarrying has been active for over a century, the systematic recovery and international export of fine mineral specimens from the Nashik district surged in the 1970s and 1980s. As of 2026, many of these quarries remain active, providing both essential construction materials and a continuous supply of high-quality scolecite for the global mineralogical community.

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