Stilbite, Meaning, Properties, and Facts

What is stilbite

Stilbite is a zeolite, one of a family of aluminum silicates built like cages, with open channels that hold water and loosely bound sodium and calcium. Since 1997 the name has covered a series, and the common member is stilbite-Ca. The name comes from a Greek word meaning to shine, a nod to its pearly luster. Zeolites have a good origin story: in 1756 the Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt heated a mineral thought to be stilbite, watched it give off steam, and named the family from the Greek for boiling stone (Wikipedia on zeolites).

Stilbite properties

Stilbite properties are those of a soft, light mineral: 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, low density and one perfect cleavage with a pearly luster. Data is on Mindat's stilbite-Ca page.

Where stilbite is found

Stilbite is found in cavities in basalt and other volcanic rocks, where hot groundwater left it behind, and less often in granite pegmatites and hot spring deposits. The Deccan Traps of Maharashtra, India, produce most of the specimens on the market, often with apophyllite. Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland have classic localities, and stilbite is the provincial mineral of Nova Scotia, where it lines cavities in the basalt along the Bay of Fundy. In the US, the basalts of New Jersey are known for it.

Stilbite crystal forms

Stilbite crystal forms are distinctive: thin plates stack into sheaves that flare at both ends, called bow ties or wheat sheaves. Colors run from white and colorless to cream, peach, salmon, pink and orange-brown. A stilbite stone in a shop is almost always a raw cluster or crystal group. Heulandite, a close relative found with it, forms coffin-shaped crystals instead of sheaves.

How to tell if stilbite is real

To tell if stilbite is real, look for the bow-tie shape and the pearly shine. Stilbite is common and inexpensive, so fakes are rare, and the usual problem is a mix-up with its neighbors. Heulandite looks similar but forms coffin-shaped crystals. Apophyllite is glassier, harder and grows in square crystals. Check clusters for glue where loose sheaves were reattached.

Stilbite care: water and sun

Stilbite care is gentle with water and sun: a quick rinse in cool water is fine, but do not soak or scrub it, because the soft sheaves break off the matrix. Water is part of its structure, but heat drives that water out, so keep it off radiators and hot windowsills. Dust it with a soft brush or a puff of air. See water safe crystals.

Stilbite price and value

Stilbite price and value sit at the low end for minerals, because Indian basalt quarries produce plenty. Value rises with large, sharp bow ties, strong peach or salmon color, clean cavities and pairings with green or clear apophyllite.

Stilbite meaning and benefits

Stilbite meaning in crystal lore is creativity and gentle support, and the benefits people claim for it include calm and intuition. That is belief, not chemistry. Its real legacy is the word zeolite: zeolites, mostly synthetic ones and other species, now filter water, soften laundry water and trap gases in industry.

Stilbite for sale

Stilbite for sale at geoslut arrives in drops. Each piece is one of one, photographed in daylight and labeled with its locality, and the list hears first.

Stilbite FAQ

Is stilbite water safe?

Stilbite is water safe for a quick rinse in cool water. Do not soak or scrub it, and keep it away from heat.

Is stilbite a zeolite?

Stilbite is a zeolite, and it is probably the mineral that gave the zeolite family its name.

What is the difference between stilbite and heulandite?

The difference between stilbite and heulandite is mostly shape: stilbite forms bow-tie sheaves, while heulandite forms coffin-shaped crystals.

How hard is stilbite?

Stilbite is not very hard: it rates 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, softer than a steel knife.

Sources

• Stilbite-Ca, Mindat
• Stilbite, Wikipedia
• Stilbite, Britannica