UNAKITE

Specifications

Mineral Class: Granite
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Hardness: 6 - 7
Luster: Vitreous
Diaphaneity: Opaque
Colors: Green, Orange, Pink, Colorless
Symbolizes: Balance
Source: Brazil, Madagascar, South Africa, and USA

Unakite is a metamorphic rock that forms when granite, an igneous rock, is altered by hydrothermal activity. The green in Unakite comes from Epidote, while the orange/pink is Feldspar and the colorless parts are Quartz. It was first discovered in the United States in the Unakas mountains of North Carolina from which it gets its name. Unakite exists in various shades of green and pink and is usually mottled in appearance. A good quality Unakite is considered a semiprecious stone; and is often used in jewelry as beads or cabochons and other lapidary work such as eggs, spheres and animal carvings.