{"title":"Apophyllite","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApophyllite\u003c\/strong\u003e is the collector's name for a group of hydrous potassium calcium silicates crystallizing in the tetragonal system, now formally split by the IMA into \u003cstrong\u003efluorapophyllite-(K)\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ehydroxyapophyllite-(K)\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003efluorapophyllite-(Na)\u003c\/strong\u003e, though the traditional name remains standard in the trade. It typically forms pseudocubic, blocky or tabular crystals with a perfect basal cleavage that gives a distinctive pearly-to-vitreous luster on that face, quite different from the glassy luster on the prism faces. Color ranges from colorless and white through pale yellow and pink to the prized emerald-green, vanadium-bearing crystals that made Indian material famous worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe single most important source is the \u003cstrong\u003eDeccan Traps\u003c\/strong\u003e basalt province of western India, where amygdaloidal cavities have produced the world's finest specimens for decades. Classic localities include the now-closed \u003cstrong\u003ePashan Hills\u003c\/strong\u003e quarries near \u003cstrong\u003ePoona (Pune)\u003c\/strong\u003e, source of deep emerald-green crystals on pink \u003cstrong\u003estilbite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the more recent \u003cstrong\u003eJalgaon\u003c\/strong\u003e district, which has yielded gemmy green apophyllite of comparable or superior quality, often accompanied by \u003cstrong\u003eheulandite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003emesolite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003estilbite\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eNasik\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMumbai (Bombay)\u003c\/strong\u003e districts round out the Indian production, occasionally combined with \u003cstrong\u003ecavansite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003epowellite\u003c\/strong\u003e from nearby occurrences. Outside India, exceptional apophyllite has come from the trap-rock quarries of \u003cstrong\u003ePaterson\u003c\/strong\u003e and the \u003cstrong\u003eMillington Quarry\u003c\/strong\u003e in New Jersey, USA, where pink and colorless crystals grow with \u003cstrong\u003edatolite\u003c\/strong\u003e and quartz; from the historic silver mines of \u003cstrong\u003eKongsberg\u003c\/strong\u003e in Norway; from \u003cstrong\u003eAndreasberg\u003c\/strong\u003e in Germany's Harz Mountains; and from \u003cstrong\u003eGuanajuato\u003c\/strong\u003e, Mexico, each producing habits and colors distinctive enough to be recognized by experienced collectors at a glance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollectors seek apophyllite both as an affordable, widely available species for study collections and, at the high end, as one of the most aesthetically striking combination specimens in mineralogy: sharp, lustrous, water-clear or richly colored crystals perched on contrasting beds of pink or peach stilbite, white heulandite, or fibrous mesolite. Fine Indian green apophyllite with vanadium coloring, or large, gemmy, doubly terminated Jalgaon crystals, can command prices reaching into the thousands of dollars, while classic old Poona pieces from now-inaccessible Pashan Hills workings are prized as historic, no-longer-obtainable material. Its softness and easy cleavage make it a delicate but visually rewarding centerpiece for any zeolite or Indian trap-rock mineral collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/apophyllite.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}