Unakite: Properties, Facts and Photos

What is Unakite?

Unakite is a type of granite composed of pink orthoclase feldspar, pistachio-green epidote, and clear orgrey quartz.

With it being composed of several different minerals, unakite is a rock, not a mineral.

For a stone to be classified as unakite, it mustcontain orthoclase feldspar and epidote. Some material labelled unakite is composed purely of green epidote.

This colourful rock can be found in several locations near the Blue Ridge Mountains, U.S.A. Small pebbles to large boulders are common in many of the state parks.

Although mostly found at higher elevations, unakite can also be found in river valleys, having been carried down from the mountains.

It's also found near Lake Superior and other locations in the U.S.A. South Africa, Brazil, and China also have deposits.

Unakite forms through metamorphism, where granite undergoes chemical and physical changes due to intense heat and pressure over long periods.

When subjected to extreme geological conditions, some minerals in granite change, particularly feldspar.

The original pink feldspar, which is usually orthoclase or microcline, partially metamorphoses into epidote, which is a green mineral. However, not all of the feldspar is altered. Some of the original pink feldspar remains intact, contributing to the pinkish colour of unakite.

Quartz remains relatively unchanged and appears as translucent, greyish or colourless sections within the stone.

This transformation occurs when fluids rich in elements like calcium, iron, and aluminium permeate the granite, causing the minerals to recrystallise and form new combinations.

Metamorphism typically takes place deep within the Earth's crust.
The finest unakite is widely used for decorative purposes. Being opaque, gemstones tend to be cut as cabochons.

The name comes from the Unaka Range of Mountains, North Carolina, where it was discovered in 1874. It was originally spelt 'unakyte.'

Some online references claim that it's the state stone for Virginia. However, I have not been able to find anything factual from an official organisation to confirm this.

Unakite is sometimes labelled as unakite jasper, which is geologically incorrect. Unakite and Jasper are different materials.

On the Mohs scale of hardness, unakite grades 6 to 6.5.

Article Photos

The unakite in this article is from our collection.

Pop-up photos
Granite, epidote, orthoclase: Courtesy of Stan Celestian.

Unakite: Courtesy of James St. John.