Deccan Flood Basalts, Maharashtra State, India
The quarries of the Deccan Flood Basalts are among our Top 12 Mineral Localities.
The localities hosted by the Deccan flood basalts in India are the source of the world’s finest zeolite and “zeolite-related” specimens. Specifically, the mesolite, scolecite, stilbite, stellerite, goosecreekite, fluorapophyllite, okenite, gyrolite, cavansite, pentagonite and powellite are easily among the world’s best.
The basalt, from which these magnificent minerals are extracted, formed when lava spewed from cracks in the earth's crust and then spread out over a wide area, cooled and hardened. The cavities in which these crystals grew are actually gas bubbles that formed in the flowing lava as it escaped from the pressures deep within the earth, much like the bubbles that form in a soda pop when the cap is removed. Groundwater carrying dissolved minerals flowed through the porous rock and entered the pockets, precipitating these delicate crystals inside the voids.
The term "pillow" basalts is often used to describe some of the rocks of these flows. This term is used for basalts that erupted under water or flowed into water. In doing so, the lava formed as piles of flattened, lobate masses that look like a stack of pillows. The basalt flows of the Deccan Plateau, cover more than 200,000 square miles and have yielded countless fine quality zeolite specimens. The name "zeolite" refers to a group of silicate minerals characterized by crystallographic structures that form distinct channels at the atomic level. These channel ways have distinct measurements and properties in each zeolite mineral, which allows them to be used as chemical filters. Ironically, although zeolites are common and found worldwide, many of the industrial varieties are grown synthetically by the ton.
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Cavansite with Stilbite-Ca
Wagholi Quarries, Pune Dist., Pune Div., Maharashtra, India
$3000
50mm x 30mm x 20mm
From: The Arkenstone
Apophyllite and Stilbite
Lonavala Quarry, Pune District, Lonavala, Maharashtra, India
$235
158mm x 126mm x 75mm
From: Bob Griffis Minerals
Cavansite with Calcite on Calcite
Wagholi Quarries, Wagholi, Pune Dist., Maharashtra, India
$6500
50mm x 40mm x 20mm
From: The Arkenstone
Calcite with Apophyllite
Pashan Hills, Pune District, Maharashtra, India
$300
70mm x 50mm x 45mm
From: Marin Minerals
Yugawaralite on Quartz
Malad Quarry, Malad, Mumbai Suburban dist., Maharashtra, India
$2750
70mm x 50mm x 30mm
From: The Arkenstone
Stellerite, Epistilbite, Fluorapophyllite
Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India
$950
130mm x 90mm x 70mm
From: The Arkenstone
Fluorapophyllite on Stilbite
Momin Akhada, Rahuri, Ahilyanagar Dist., Nashik Div., Maharashtra, India
$4000
80mm x 70mm x 30mm
From: The Arkenstone
Stilbite and Apophyllite
Panvel, Raigad District, Maharashtra, India
$70
78mm x 75mm x 34mm
From: Bob Griffis Minerals
gemmy POWELLITE, SCOLECITE
Yeola, Nashik District, Maharashtra, India
$1880
102mm x 60mm x 42mm
From: Quebul Fine Minerals
Cavansite on Heulandite
Wagholi, Pune District, Maharashtra, India
$22 *
40mm x 28mm x 25mm
From: Taranis Minerals
PENTAGONITE
Wagholi, Pune District (Poonah District), Maharashtra, India
$185
18mm x 10mm x 9mm
From: Quebul Fine Minerals