Epidote with quartz, partial radial prehnite

Epidote with quartz, partial radial prehniteLocale: Imilchil, Midelt Province, Dra Tafilalet Region, Morocco Approx dimensions: 2. 5 x 1. 5 x 1" Approx weight: 113g Epidote grows long slender prismatic crystals with saturated olive green color, though it can be more yellow, brown, or even so saturated it appears black. Radial growth forms are typical of the Imilchil region in Morocco. Its common to find fans and bow ties of epidote mixed in with individual crystals. This piece has thick epidote

Locale: Imilchil, Midelt Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco

Approx dimensions: 2.5 x 1.5 x 1"

Approx weight: 113g

Epidote grows long slender prismatic crystals with saturated olive green color, though it can be more yellow, brown, or even so saturated it appears black. Radial growth forms are typical of the Imilchil region in Morocco. It’s common to find fans and bow-ties of epidote mixed in with individual crystals. This piece has thick epidote growth with crystals stacked parallel like a closed fan, with fully fanning crystals at edges. Epidote has a good luster which is apparent in the thicker crystal growth on the specimen.

The piece has several glassy clear well-formed (but small) colorless quartz crystals embedded in the epidote. Small dark spots are magnetite, and the light cream colored mineral is prehnite. Prehnite and epidote commonly grow together because they have similar chemical requirements (both need calcium and aluminium, and often grow in hydrothermal environments). This specimen has the remnants of a spherical formation, with a dark mineral (likely also magnetite) in the center.

UV reactivity: the epidote is non-reactive but the prehnite sphere glows a light golden yellow in 365nm UV light.