Clinozoisite (bi-colored crystals) (ex Gerry Morvell Collection)

Item Description

Clinozoisite is part of the Epidote group, and was named for its chemical relation to Zoisite, but it monoCLINic, as opposed to orthorhombic. Interestingly, Zoisite used to be part of the Epidote group, but it was removed because of its crystal system, as apparently orthorhombic species aren't included anymore. With that said this piece is an odd, but still very attractive Clinozoisite simply labeled as coming from "Sonora, Mexico". Now there is only one locality on mindat.org for Clinozoisite, the Tepustete Ranch, but the crystals on this specimen in no way resemble those pieces, so it's hard to say specifically where this piece could have originated. The crystals on this specimen are sharp, well-formed, lustrous, translucent prisms measuring up to 2.4 cm, but what's most interesting about them is that they show a clear bi-color with a mixture of rich pinkish-red and greenish-brown hues. Now the pink (manganese-bearing) variety of Zoisite is called Thulite, but I don't think there is a name for pink Clinozoisite crystals. The crystals are in good shape overall, but there is a bit of roughness in a few spots. This is a certainly a rare and odd piece, so if you're a fan of Mexican minerals or minerals of the Epidote group (especially those with unusual coloring), don't pass this one up. It's the only one of its kind that I've seen. From the collection of Gerry Morvell.