Where is Epidote found?
Epidote Group
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Open the appEpidote occurs in specific geological environments. Knowing where to look, and in what kind of rock, is the difference between going home empty-handed and finding a great specimen.
Where to find Epidote
Knappenwand, Untersulzbachtal, Salzburg, Austria
Famous for producing world-class, large, dark green, well-formed epidote crystals, often associated with adularia and chlorite.
Prince of Wales Mine, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Known for excellent epidote crystals, sometimes associated with quartz and copper minerals.
Serifos Island, Cyclades, Greece
Produces distinctive, often gemmy, light green epidote crystals, frequently found in association with quartz and iron oxides.
Dauphiné Alps, France
Historically significant locality for epidote, particularly in alpine-type fissures.
Coquimbo Region, Chile
Known for large, dark green epidote crystals, often found in skarn deposits.
Collecting tips
- Look in Metamorphic Terrains. Focus your search in areas known for regional or contact metamorphism, especially where mafic igneous rocks have been altered. Schists, gneisses, and skarns are good places to start.
- Identify Associated Minerals. Epidote often occurs with quartz, calcite, chlorite, actinolite, garnet, and various feldspars. Finding these minerals can indicate the presence of epidote.
- Check Hydrothermal Veins. Examine veins and fractures in altered igneous rocks, as epidote is a common product of hydrothermal alteration.
- Observe Color and Habit. The characteristic pistachio-green color and prismatic crystal habit are strong indicators. Look for elongated crystals with striations.
Quick Check
- Color:
- Pistachio-green to dark green
- Luster:
- Vitreous to resinous
- Streak:
- White to grayish-white
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