Unakite is a rock, not a single mineral: pink feldspar, green epidote and quartz in one speckled stone. The lore below belongs to the stone as people use it today.
Rock (altered granite)
Unakite
Unakita
- Palette
- Green Pink
- Mined in
- United States, South Africa
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–7.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1874
- Named for
- the Unaka Range in the Great Smoky Mountains
- Also sold as
- unakite granite, epidote granite
- Intention
- Calm Strength
- Looking for
- Calm Willpower Patience
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Unakite is sold as natural; sellers state no dye or heat.
Not in our pieces now
MAX'S PATCH
F. H. Bradley collected the first unakite samples in 1874 mainly from The Bluff, Walnut Mountain and Max's Patch in Cocke County, Tennessee.
CATOCTIN LAVA
In Shenandoah National Park, heat from Catoctin lava flows drove fluids through the rock and turned charnockite into unakite along its cracks.
30 TO 40 SITES
About 30 to 40 unakite occurrences are reported in northeastern Finland, far from the Blue Ridge Mountains where it was named.
What it is
A speckled rock of mossy to olive green blotched with salmon pink, sometimes with white or gray flecks. It is not a single mineral and not a jasper: it is granite altered by hot fluids, made of pink orthoclase feldspar, yellow-green epidote and clear to smoky quartz. Beads show the green and pink as patches rather than bands.
What gives it its color
Unakite is a rock of three minerals: pink orthoclase feldspar, green epidote, and colorless to milky quartz.
Where it comes from
Unakite is named for the Unaka Range of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina and Tennessee, and the finest comes from the Blue Ridge of Virginia and North Carolina; it is also produced in South Africa, Brazil and China.
In history
Unakite was first described in 1874 by Bradley from the Unaka Range of the Great Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina-Tennessee line, and was named for those mountains. The range's own name comes from the Cherokee word for white.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, unakite is the stone people keep for steadiness. It is traditionally associated with a settled heart and with willpower when a plan needs follow-through.
People hold it, carry it in a pocket or set it by the bed at night.
Because it looks like moss and sunset together, many wearers simply like it as an everyday green-and-pink stone.
How people wear or keep it: In a pocket, on the wrist, by the bed, or held in the hand.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, unakite is paired with the solar plexus and heart chakras, 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: in a pocket, on the wrist, by the bed. People reach for it when they want calm, willpower, patience, 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.
ChakraSolar Plexus, Heart
ZodiacScorpio
ElementEarth
Also calledunakite granite, epidote granite
Care
- A hard, dense rock that wears well on the wrist; still avoid hard knocks, since the feldspar in it can chip along its cleavage.
- Clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm water with a little mild soap, then dry.
- Keep away from harsh chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Store apart from harder gems so the pink patches do not get scratched.
How to tell what you have
- Unakite is a speckled rock, not a single mineral: green epidote, pink feldspar and clear quartz in granite, hardness 6 to 7. No two beads match, which is normal.
- It is not jasper; dyed green and pink imitations tend to show even blotches or dye at the drill hole, while real unakite shows distinct grains.
Questions people ask at our table
What is unakite?
A granite that hot fluids altered, leaving pink feldspar, green epidote and quartz in one rock. It is a rock rather than a single mineral, so each bead looks a little different.
Is unakite a jasper?
No. Some sellers call it jasper-like because it is opaque and patchy, but jasper is fine-grained quartz. Unakite is coarse-grained and contains feldspar and epidote.
Is unakite natural, or dyed?
The green and pink come from the minerals themselves and need no dye. Unusually bright or uniform beads sold under the name are worth asking about.
Where does unakite come from?
It is named for the Unaka Range in the Appalachians, and the best material comes from Virginia and North Carolina. It is reported at a few other places, including South Africa.
How do I look after it?
Wipe it with a soft cloth and keep it away from hard knocks. It is hard enough for daily wear.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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