Scolecite

A zeolite forming sprays of slender, glassy white needles.

Scolecite specimen — Photo: Carles Millan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify scolecite

Radiating sprays of thin, straight white needles.
Often with apophyllite or stilbite.
Brittle needles snap easily.

Often confused with

Natrolite
Natrolite looks almost identical; usually only lab tests separate them.
Compare side by side
Okenite
Okenite fibers are fluffy and soft, like cotton.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Pune, India
Iceland
Brazil

Uses

Collector specimens.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

Its name comes from Greek for 'worm' — it curls when heated in a flame.

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