{"title":"Okenite","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOkenite\u003c\/strong\u003e is a hydrated calcium silicate, chemically \u003cstrong\u003eCaSi2O5·2H2O\u003c\/strong\u003e, prized by collectors for one of the most distinctive habits in the mineral kingdom: dense, fragile sprays of fine acicular fibers that bundle into radiating \"cotton ball\" or \"sea urchin\" clusters. Crystallizing in the triclinic system with a Mohs hardness of only 4.5 to 5, its fibers are surprisingly elastic and bendable, yet easily crushed if handled roughly, a tenacity tied to its perfect one-directional cleavage and weakly bonded layered structure. Colorless to snow-white, occasionally with a pale yellow or blue tint, okenite has a pearly to vitreous luster and forms as a secondary mineral lining vesicles and geodes in basalt, crystallizing from silica-rich fluids during the low-temperature alteration of volcanic rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe species was first described in 1828 from \u003cstrong\u003eDisko Island\u003c\/strong\u003e, Greenland, and named after German naturalist Lorenz Oken, but it was the discovery of extraordinary material in the \u003cstrong\u003eDeccan Traps\u003c\/strong\u003e of Maharashtra, India, that made okenite a true showpiece for collectors. The quarries of \u003cstrong\u003ePoona (Pune)\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKhandivali\u003c\/strong\u003e near Mumbai have yielded the world's finest specimens: subspheric balls of needle-thin crystals exceeding 5 cm in diameter, sometimes found nestled inside transparent optical calcite, and closely associated with \u003cstrong\u003estilbite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eapophyllite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003egyrolite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eprehnite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003elaumontite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003egoosecreekite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003echalcedony\u003c\/strong\u003e within the same basalt cavities. Beyond India, okenite is also documented from \u003cstrong\u003eBulla Island\u003c\/strong\u003e in Azerbaijan, \u003cstrong\u003eAranga\u003c\/strong\u003e in New Zealand, \u003cstrong\u003eDisko Island\u003c\/strong\u003e and other Greenland localities, \u003cstrong\u003eBordo Island\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ireland, Chile, and a scattering of Alpine and North American occurrences including New Jersey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor collectors, Okenite occupies a special niche among zeolite-suite minerals: it has no industrial use whatsoever and exists purely as a display and study specimen, valued entirely for its sculptural, almost botanical appearance. Fine Indian cotton-ball clusters remain the benchmark for the species, commanding strong prices for well-formed, undamaged balls, while the rarer optical calcite hosting internal okenite puffs and material from classic type localities like Disko Island add historical and scientific interest. Its combination of rarity, fragility, and unmistakable habit makes okenite a favorite centerpiece among calcium silicate and basalt-cavity mineral specimens.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gyrolite-okenite-green-spheres-pune-india","title":"GYROLITE \u0026 OKENITE – Green Spheres with Fluffy White Tufts, Pune, India","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking combination piece featuring lustrous green Gyrolite spheres, striated and accompanied by smaller satellite balls, alongside delicate tufts of white Okenite resting on a zeolite matrix. The well-developed crystal faces of the Gyrolite spheres are clearly visible, while the Okenite forms soft, cotton-like clusters that contrast beautifully against the green host crystals. This is an uncommon species pairing, prized by collectors for its aesthetic balance and rarity on the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 129 x 106 x 52 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 565 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pune, Maharashtra, India\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45733331533933,"sku":null,"price":69.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/AGC_20250317_193150239.jpg?v=1788004185"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/okenite.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}