Epidote from Bafoulabé Cercle, Kayes Region, Mali

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An aesthetic specimen, this a cluster of round deep green slightly translucent lustrous balls of prehnite, these hosting deep green to almost black lustrous prismatic crystals of epidote throughout. The epidote crystals measure to 3.0 cm in size. No points of attachment and in great condition all around. The specimen comes with a label from the collection of Ray DeMark.Diakon, located in the Bafoulabe Cercle of the Kayes Region in Mali, is a premier mineral locality renowned globally for producing exceptional specimens of prehnite and epidote. Geologically, the area features low temperature hydrothermal and metamorphic environments where mineral rich fluids filled cavities and fractures within older host rocks. Mining and collecting activities in this remote rural region are largely artisanal, driven by local miners and collectors carefully extracting specimens from weathered pockets and diggings. The resulting mineral combinations typically feature lustrous, translucent, apple green prehnite forming botryoidal or globular clusters perched dramatically upon well crystallized, dark green to blackish epidote prisms, creating highly prized aesthetic matrix pieces for mineral enthusiasts worldwide.