Epidote is a natural green mineral, the green in unakite. Clear crystals are rarely cut as gems.
Sorosilicate
Epidote
Epidota
- Palette
- Green
- Mined in
- Austria, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greenland, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Brazil, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–7.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1801
- Named for
- Greek epidosis, meaning increase
- Also sold as
- pistachio green stone
- Intention
- Abundance New Beginnings
- Looking for
- Prosperity Relationships Letting go Change and decisions
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Epidote beads are sold as natural; the sellers we read state no dye or other work.
Not in our pieces now
RENÉ JUST HAÜY
René Just Haüy named epidote from a Greek word for 'increase,' because one side at the base of its crystal prism is longer than the others.
KNAPPENWAND
Dark green epidote crystals from Knappenwand in Austria's Untersulzbach valley grow long and prismatic in cavities in epidote schist.
11 MINERALS
The epidote group has 11 listed member minerals, including ones built around lead, scandium, vanadium and strontium.
What it is
A glassy yellow-green to pistachio or very dark green mineral that grows in lustrous, elongated crystals. It is the green part of unakite, where it sits beside pink feldspar. Clear crystals are cut as gems only now and then.
What gives it its color
Iron gives epidote its yellowish-green to pistachio-green color; the stone can look green from one direction and brown from another.
Where it comes from
Faceting-quality epidote comes mainly from Untersulzbach Valley in Austria; other named sources include Prince of Wales Island in Alaska, Pakistan, Norway, France, and Tawmaw in Myanmar.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today it is a stone for abundance, good relationships and letting go. People keep it near a change.
It is usually kept in the prosperity corner of a room, near a meditation spot, or worn close to the heart.
How people wear or keep it: Near the heart, in the prosperity corner of a room, or in a meditation area.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, epidote is paired with the heart chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: near the heart, in the prosperity corner of a room, in a meditation area. People reach for it when they want prosperity, relationships, letting go, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacGemini, Libra, Virgo
ElementWater
Also calledpistachio green stone
Care
- Fairly hard, but it can split along a crystal direction: avoid sharp knocks.
- Wipe with a soft damp cloth and dry.
- Skip the ultrasonic cleaner for cut stones.
- Keep apart from harder stones in a pouch.
How to tell what you have
- Epidote is a glassy yellow-green to pistachio or very dark green mineral, hardness 6 to 7, with one perfect cleavage. It is also the green part of unakite.
- Dark green glass or dyed green quartz can look similar; true epidote often shows fine lengthwise striations and a strong color change from green to yellow to brown when turned.
What sets the price
Price follows how clear and deep the green is and how well the stone takes a polish. Clear crystal costs the most, while the opaque material usually sold as beads is cheaper.
Questions people ask at our table
What is epidote?
A natural yellow-green to dark green silicate mineral. The color is its own.
How is it linked to unakite?
Unakite is a rock of green epidote and pink feldspar, often with quartz. The green in it is epidote.
How hard is it?
About 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, but it can split, so it is not for hard knocks.
How can I tell it from green aventurine?
Aventurine is quartz with a sparkling shimmer. Epidote looks glassy and a little more yellow.
Where does it come from?
Austria, Norway, Italy, France, Brazil, Russia, Canada and the United States, among others.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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