Epidote (attractive crystals)

Item Description

Epidote is a somewhat varied species in terms of the habits/morphologies and colors in which it is found. I will say that it not a rare mineral, but it's notably difficult to find pieces with such superb crystallization as this one. While the majority of the Epidote specimens you'll see on the market from Pakistan are found in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, there are some superb quality specimens that have come out of Balochistan recently, and this piece is a great example. The thick bladed crystals on this specimen are good quality, with distinct, well-formed faces, and at first glance I felt as though this piece had to be from somewhere other than Pakistan (possibly the Knappenwand in Austria), due to its glistening luster, smooth crystal faces and dark greenish-black color. It turns out that it's actually from Zard Mountain in Pakistan. This is not terribly surprising, as many of the "Alpine-Type" localities in Pakistan have produced similar minerals to their true European Alpine counterparts, but I'm always impressed when I see a piece like this from an unlikely locality. As mentioned, the crystal faces are rather reflective and they have formed eye-catching "fan"-like shapes. The crystals are in good condition on the top/display side, and even the underside is mostly crystallized. The largest crystal measures 1.1 cm You could fool a lot of people when you ask them, "where is this Epidote from?", because I think most people would either answer Austria, Alaska, Kenya, Namibia or somewhere else before they thought it was from Pakistan. A good specimen for any fan of worldwide Epidotes or excellent crystal morphology.