Detailed Description

Excellent sharp epidote on a perfectly proportionate matrix. Great termination on the main crystal (this main crystal is 3.2 cm). Nice association with light brown titanite. The epidote is lustrous (muted it a bit using a diffuser when taking the photo) with some micro-epidote frosting on the back of the specimen. The lighter green termination on the small sidecar crystal part way down the left front is stepped. Sweet specimen!

About this Find

On a trip to Peru I managed to acquire some of the best specimens I have seen from the 2012 find at Concession Morgan 3, Coayllo, Cañete Province, Lima Department. Information about the find is still pretty sketchy. I was told that it was a “small skarn zone” encountered and depleted. The zone was certainly quite tight – most specimens I have seen have unfortunately had some level of contacting, confirming that there was not a lot of open space for free crystal growth. The specimens are beautiful well-developed sharp epidote crystals, with great lustre. Some are very dark, in some ways, a little reminiscent of epidote from Prince of Wales, Alaska, while others have slightly lighter green (and in these, there seems to be some colour variation with some brown as well). There are small tan titanite crystals in association with a few of the epidotes, and very small acicular crystals as very cool inclusions in some of the epidotes as well – I am guessing these are likely tremolite.