ZEOLITES: OKENIT ZEOLITES: OKENITE AND EPISTILBITE

ZEOLITES: OKENITE AND EPISTILBITE
OKENITE, THIS SIMPLEST ZEOLITE HAS ONLY ONE METAL ELEMENT= CALCIUM (Ca).
Molten lava has a surprisingly high water content which tends to pool into bubbles rich in dissolved
dissolv minerals it
leached out of the molten magma. As the magm
magma cools, “water bubbles” rich in minerals are trapped in hard
basalt. When
hen the water eventually escapes the geode over the millennia, these beautiful crystals
crystal are left behind.
ZEOL-OKEN-1.
1. OKENITE = the calcium
silicate species, with nine attached water
molecules: Many Zeolite specimens feature a
matrix of opened basalt geodes carved out of a
solid rock pillow lava flow by the talented and
supremely patient stone carvers of India. This
3.5” wide, open basalt geode features especially
fuzzy Okenite balls. Found near Mumbai
(Bombay), India.
-Joe Budd photograph
ZEOL-OKEN
OKEN-2. (left) SMALL
OKENITE BALLS IN AN OPEN
BASALT GEODE – MUMBAI
(BOMBAY), INDIA = the calcium
silicate species with nine attached
water molecules:
molecules The fact that most
of the Zeolite species have attached
water molecules is the strongest
evidence that they crystallized at low
temperatures. Why? It is hard for
the crystals to retain their attached
water molecules at high temperatures.
Specimen measures
mea
3” high by 7”
wide.
-Joe Budd photograph
BASALT
ZEOL-EPI-2. RARE EPISTILBITE –BASALT
GEODE – MUMBAI (BOMBAY), INDIA = the
calcium, aluminum, silicate species with sixteen
attached water molecules:: Sharp Epistilbites
with peach-colored crystals,, as seen here, are
uncommon. Also note the doubly terminated,
colorless heulandite crystal. Specimen measures
4.5” high by 3.5” wide.
-Jeff Scovil photograph
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