Judging quality
The best sprays are bright, unbroken and radiate cleanly from a single point. Needles are extremely delicate and easily crushed in transit.
Zeolite
Scolecite
Fine needle-like white zeolite crystals that radiate in silky sprays, sometimes forming dense pillow-like masses.
Care
Extremely fragile. Never wash or brush; display under cover.
History & lore
Named from Greek skolex, worm, because the needles curl when heated in a flame.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Scolecite
- What is Scolecite?
- Fine needle-like white zeolite crystals that radiate in silky sprays, sometimes forming dense pillow-like masses.
- How hard is Scolecite and what is it made of?
- Scolecite is a Zeolite-family mineral with the composition CaAl2Si3O10·3H2O. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 5-5.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in white, colorless.
- Where does Scolecite come from?
- Notable localities for Scolecite include India, Iceland, Brazil.
- How do you tell good Scolecite from filler?
- The best sprays are bright, unbroken and radiate cleanly from a single point. Needles are extremely delicate and easily crushed in transit.
- How do you care for Scolecite?
- Extremely fragile. Never wash or brush; display under cover.
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.