Description & Provenance

Maharashtra lies within an area of India known as the Tertiary Deccan Basalt Traps. During the Cretaceous Period (approximately 68 million years ago), the area experienced a series of intense volcanic activities that spanned the course of five years. It deposited the magma from whence the plentiful basalt of the region formed. Apophyllite typically forms as a secondary mineral in areas where volcanic activity deposited basalt and as a result, India is a popular and abundant resource. Apophyllites can vary in color but are most often clear/colorless. They may also be pale pink or green with varying degrees of transparency.

This highly aesthetic specimen is a contemporary classic, recovered in 1986. It is considerably rich in color for its species with few, if any rivals. It has dozens of attractive, well saturated, sea-foam green apophyllite crystals and its color is both well-saturated and pronounced against its contrasting matrix of snow-white heulandite. Besides color, this specimen also boasts pristine, undamaged, pyramidal crystals that formed in three major clusters. The crystals are sharp, well-defined, and the composition of their aggregates resemble chrysanthemums or succulents, dense with petals, all set against their canvas of white. The apophyllite crystals are remarkably lustrous and add a gem-like sparkle to this beautiful specimen.

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