WHAT ARE ZEOLITES?

ZEOLITES ARE MICROPOROUS ALUMINOSILICATES. THEY ARE CALLED MOLECULAR SIEVES AND THEY ARE USED IN WATER SOFTENERS, PRODUCTION OF MEDICAL GRADE OXYGEN AND OTHER GASES, AND AMOUNG THE MANY THINGS THEY ARE USED FOR ARE LAUNDRY DETERGENTS AND WATER SOFTENERS, BEING THE MOST COMMON. THERE ARE OVER 40 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ZEOLITES KNOWN TO OCCUR NATURALLY. THEY FORM WHERE VOLCANIC MATERIAL REACTED WITH GROUNDWATER THAT WAS ALKALINE. THE CRYSTALLIZATION OCCURS IN SHALLOW MARINE BASINS OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS. WE WILL DISPLAY ZEOLITES SUCH AS STILBITE, HEULANDITE, SCOLECITE, MESOLITE, NATROLITE, CHABAZITE AND A FEW MORE. SINCE SOME ASSOCIATED MINERALS FORM AFTER THE ZEOLITES, WE WILL ALSO INCLUDE: APOPHYLLITE, OKENITE, PREHNITE, AND CAVANSITE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT ZEOLITES. MANY SPECIMENS ARE MIXES OF DIFFERENT MINERALS. MOST OF THESE MINERALS ARE FROM MUMBAI, POONA, NASIK, AND OTHER LOCATIONS IN INDIA. ZEOLITES ARE PROBABLY SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN DISPLAYS AVAILABLE.