Calcium aluminum iron silicate with a characteristic pistachio-green color. Common metamorphic and hydrothermal mineral. Color: Pistachio green, yellow-green. Luster: Vitreous. Streak: White to grayish. Cleavage: Perfect in one direction. Hardness: 6-7. Transparency: Transparent to translucent. Crystal system: Monoclinic. Chemical formula: Ca₂ Al,Fe ₃ SiO₄ ₃ OH. Specific gravity: 3.3-3.5. Formation: Forms during low to medium grade metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration of calcium-bearing rocks. Common geological settings: Austria Untersulzbachtal , Pakistan, USA, Mexico; found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. Common look-alikes and related entries: Olivine, Actinolite, Vesuvianite.
Green minerals — Place this specimen in a broader field-identification workflow.
Sources, scope & corrections
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:36:55.123195+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
Calcium aluminum iron silicate with a characteristic pistachio-green color. Common metamorphic and hydrothermal mineral.
How can you identify Epidote?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Pistachio green, yellow-green; lustre: Vitreous; streak: White to grayish; Mohs hardness: 6-7; cleavage: Perfect in one direction; crystal system: Monoclinic; transparency: Transparent to translucent. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Epidote form?
Forms during low to medium grade metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration of calcium-bearing rocks.
Where is Epidote commonly found?
Austria Untersulzbachtal , Pakistan, USA, Mexico; found in metamorphic and igneous rocks.
What is Epidote commonly confused with?
Epidote may be confused with Olivine, Actinolite, Vesuvianite. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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