Epidote (fantastic crystals)

Item Description

Epidote is certainly 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 top quality, with incredibly 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 it's amazingly "wet" 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 top-notch crystals faces are incredibly reflective and stunningly well-formed. The crystals are in great condition on the top/display side, with only a few small nicks here and there, and the underside is forgivable contacted where the piece was separated from the pocket wall. There is even a bit of attached white Albite on the back for a nice touch. . The largest Epidote measures 3.0 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 or somewhere else before they thought it was from Pakistan. A great specimen for any fan of worldwide Epidotes or excellent crystal morphology.