Natrolite

Natrolite is a tectosilicate mineral species belonging to the zeolite group. It is a hydrated sodium and aluminium silicate with the formula Na2Al2Si3O10 • 2H2O. The type locality is Hohentwiel, Hegau, Germany.Natrolite from the plateau basalts in east GreenlandColorless, radiating natrolite in zeolite podCatapleiite and natrolite from Poudrette quarry, Québec, CanadaSlender needles of natrolite are accented by deep pink inesitesNatrolite in spherical clusters inside protective pocket of volcanic rockNatrolite sprays of stark white crystals are shooting out from a vug of inesite Natrolite is a tectosilicate mineral species belonging to the zeolite group. It is a hydrated sodium and aluminium silicate with the formula Na2Al2Si3O10 • 2H2O. The type locality is Hohentwiel, Hegau, Germany. It was named natrolite by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1803. The name is derived from νατρών natron, the Greek word for soda, in reference to the sodium content and λίθος lithos, meaning stone. Needle stone or needle-zeolite are other informal names, alluding to the common acicular habit of the crystals, which are often very slender and are aggregated in divergent tufts. The crystals are frequently epitaxial overgrowths of natrolite, mesolite, and gonnardite in various orders.