metamorphic
Unakite
Epidotized Granite
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 6 - 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: mottled pistachio-green and salmon-pink, often with minor grey or clear quartz; Luster: vitreous to dull; Specific Gravity: ~2.85 - 3.20; Cleavage: poor/irregular depending on individual mineral grains.
- Hardness
- 6 - 7 on the Mohs scale
- Luster
- vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6 - 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: mottled pistachio-green and salmon-pink, often with minor grey or clear quartz; Luster: vitreous to dull; Specific Gravity: ~2.85 - 3.20; Cleavage: poor/irregular depending on individual mineral grains.
Formation & geological history
Formed by hydrothermal metamorphism (metasomatism) of granitic rock, where plagioclase feldspar is altered to epidote while orthoclase (pink feldspar) and quartz remain largely intact.
Uses & applications
Popular as a lapidary material carved into cabochons, beads, eggs, spheres, sculptures, and ornamental decorative tiles.
Geological facts
First discovered in the Unaka Range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee, USA, from which it gets its name.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its distinctive contrast between pink orthoclase feldspar and mossy-green epidote; found notably in the southeastern USA, South Africa, Brazil, and China.
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