Unakite
Pink feldspar and green epidote in one granite from the Appalachians.
- Family
- Granite
- Formula
- KAlSi₃O₈ + Ca₂(Al,Fe)₃(SiO₄)₃(OH) + SiO₂
- Mohs
- 6 to 7
- System
- Monoclinic
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Science
Unakite is an altered granite: the plagioclase has turned to green epidote, leaving pink orthoclase and clear quartz in a mottled mix. It was first described from the Unaka range in 1874 and is found on the beaches of Lake Superior as glacial cobbles.
- Mineral
- Granite
- Formula
- KAlSi₃O₈ + Ca₂(Al,Fe)₃(SiO₄)₃(OH) + SiO₂
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 6 to 7
- Specific gravity
- 2.85 to 3.20
- Refractive index
- 1.520 to 1.780
- Lustre
- Vitreous
- Colours
- Pink, Green, Mottled
Composition
KAlSi₃O₈ + Ca₂(Al,Fe)₃(SiO₄)₃(OH) + SiO₂. Made of Potassium, Aluminium, Silicon, Oxygen, Calcium, Iron, Hydrogen.
Origin
- United StatesUnaka Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee
- South Africa
- Brazil
- China
- Zimbabwe
Filled dots are primary sources
Rarity
Plentiful; a common tumbled stone and Blue Ridge landscaping rock.
- 1 Abundant
- 2 Common
- 3 Uncommon
- 4 Rare
- 5 Exceptional
Hardness
Unakite sits at 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. It will scratch glass and holds a polish in daily wear.
Energy
Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.
Chakras
- Heart
- Third Eye
Element
- Earth
Zodiac
- Scorpio
Planets
- Mars
- Venus
Properties
- Balance
- Emotional resilience
- Patience
- Rebirth
Lore
It has no ancient tradition. It was used as trim in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and as steps in Washington's Union Station.
Modern practice reads its pink and green as heart and growth held in one stone.
- RockA rock of three minerals, not a single species.
- Named1874, after the Unaka Mountains.