Mesolite with Mordenite

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

A spray of acicular mesolite crystals 7.0 cm in diameter set up on a matrix of crystallized mordenite. In great condition, nice combination piece.Nashik, located in the state of Maharashtra, India, is part of the extensive Deccan Traps province, a massive continental flood basalt formation created by colossal volcanic activity during the late Cretaceous and early Paleocene periods, roughly 66 million years ago. Geologically, these flood basalts cooled in thick horizontal layers, and later hydrothermal activity led to the formation of secondary minerals that crystallized within gas cavities, or vesicles, formed within the cooling lava flows. Mineralogically, the region is world-famous for its spectacular zeolites, apophyllite crystals, stilbite, heulandite, quartz, and stunning green mesolite sprays, which are frequently recovered during commercial quarrying and excavation operations. Historically, modern commercial extraction and specimen collection in the area accelerated significantly through infrastructure development, road construction, and quarrying over the last several decades, establishing Nashik as one of the premier global localities for pristine, aesthetic secondary trap-rock minerals.