2.25" Sparkling Dark Green Epidote Crystals on Quartz - Turkey

Quartz is the name given to silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals generally grow in silica-rich environments--usually igneous rocks or hydrothermal environments like geothermal waters--at temperatures between 100°C and 450°C, and usually under very high pressure. In either case, crystals will precipitate as temperatures cool, just as ice gradually forms when water freezes. Quartz veins are formed when open fissures are filled with hot water during the closing stages of mountain formation: these veins can be hundreds of millions of years old.

Epidote is a green silicate mineral that is commonly found in regionally metamorphosed rocks. It often forms lustrous, elongated, and interconnected crystals that are highly coveted by collectors. While nearly all epidote is green, it may take on many different shades and tones from yellowish to deep green.