Judging quality
Look for lustrous, well-terminated crystals with the characteristic yellow-green tone; Pakistani epidote on quartz is the classic collector combination.
Silicate
Epidote
Distinctly pistachio-green striated crystals with a resinous lustre, often forming radiating sprays on quartz or prehnite.
Care
Reasonably hard but brittle along the length. Rinse gently.
History & lore
Named from Greek epidosis, 'increase', for the way one side of its crystal base is longer than the other.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Epidote
- What is Epidote?
- Distinctly pistachio-green striated crystals with a resinous lustre, often forming radiating sprays on quartz or prehnite.
- How hard is Epidote and what is it made of?
- Epidote is a Silicate-family mineral with the composition Ca2(Al,Fe)3(SiO4)3(OH). It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 6-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in pistachio green, black-green.
- Where does Epidote come from?
- Notable localities for Epidote include Pakistan, Mali, Austria, Norway.
- How do you tell good Epidote from filler?
- Look for lustrous, well-terminated crystals with the characteristic yellow-green tone; Pakistani epidote on quartz is the classic collector combination.
- How do you care for Epidote?
- Reasonably hard but brittle along the length. Rinse gently.
Related stones
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.