Unakite
“Pink and green from altered granite”
Unakite is a metamorphosed granite composed of pink orthoclase feldspar, green epidote, and clear quartz. It forms when hydrothermal fluids alter granite, replacing some minerals with epidote. Its appealing color combination has made it a popular ornamental and lapidary stone.
orthoclase feldspar (pink), epidote (green), quartz (clear/gray)
Unaka Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina, USA), Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park (Virginia, USA), South Africa, Brazil
6-7
Unakite is so abundant in Virginia's Shenandoah region that it was used as construction fill for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Test Your Knowledge
What process creates unakite's distinctive pink and green colour combination?
Photo Attribution
Title: Unakite (epidotic granite) (Buena Vista, Virginia, USA) 1.jpg
Author: James St. John
License: CC BY 2.0
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