Natural Red Stilbite - India
Stilbite belongs to the zeolite group of minerals, whose crystal structures contain microscopic channels and cavities.
The name stilbite is believed to come from the Greek word 'stilbein', meaning ‘to glitter’ or ‘to shine’. It may also come from 'stilbe', meaning ‘mirror’. Both refer to the mineral’s pearly lustre.
Stilbite was named in 1797 by the French mineralogist Jean Claude de la Métherie.
It can be transparent to translucent and occurs in several colours, including white, pink, orange, red and brown.
A relatively soft mineral, stilbite has a hardness of approximately 3.5–4 on the Mohs scale.
Stilbite is found in many parts of the world, including Scotland and the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Some of the finest material comes from Jalgaon in Maharashtra, India.
