Scolecite

Scolecite is a calcium aluminum silicate hydrate belonging to the zeolite group of minerals. Its approximate chemical formula is calcium aluminum silicate hydrate. It was first described in 1813 in Germany and named from the Greek word skolex, meaning “worm,” due to the worm-like curling motion it makes when exposed to a blowpipe flame during early mineral testing. Scolecite typically forms slender, acicular (needle-like) crystals that often radiate in sprays or clusters. It is commonly found in basalt cavities and other volcanic rocks.

Major deposits occur in India, where spectacular radiating sprays and large crystals are found, as well as in Iceland, Brazil, and the United States. Its color is usually colorless to white, though trace iron can lend pale shades of pink, yellow, or green. Historically, scolecite has not been widely used as a decorative stone due to its fragility, but it has been admired by mineral collectors for its striking radiating sprays and fibrous crystal growths. In India, where some of the most beautiful specimens occur, scolecite became popular among collectors in the 20th century when large basalt quarries began exposing fine zeolite pockets. In modern times, scolecite is mainly valued as a collector’s mineral and in