Vibrant Blue Cavansite and Pentagonite on Stilbite - India

These are gorgeous, deep blue cavansite and pentagonite aggregations on a micro-stilbite crystal encrusted matrix, collected from the Wagholi Quarry in the Pune district of India. The base of this specimen has been cut flat for presentation purposes. When viewing the underside (cut base) of this specimen, a small formation of cavansite can be seen within a small cavity.

Pentagonite is dimorphic to cavansite, and without x-ray diffraction analysis, it's nearly impossible to accurately identify whether the specimen is cavansite or pentagonite. The elongated crystals indicate that this specimen could in fact be pentagonite, however without additional testing, it's safest to label this as cavansite.

Cavansite, the name of which is derived from its chemical composition, calcium vanadium silicate, is a deep blue, crystal-forming mineral. It occurs in basaltic and andesitic rocks and is typically associated with zeolites. Discovered in 1967 in Malheur County, Oregon, cavansite is a relatively rare mineral. The vast majority of it comes from the Deccan Traps, a large igneous province and one of the largest volcanic features on earth, in the Pune Province of India.

Cavansite tends to form deep blue crystal aggregates, generally as balls up to a couple centimeters in size. These balls are typically found on top of zeolite beds. Because of its rich color and relative rarity, cavansite is sought after by mineral collectors.

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