Epidote-Clinozoisite

Occurrence and Compositon

Epidote and clinozoiste are common in many igneous rocks and low- to medium-grade
metamorphic rocks. They also form as alteration products in rocks of many sorts. They
may be dominant or abundant in a rock, but are more often accessory minerals.
Clinozoisite and epidote form a solid solution series related by substitution of Fe 3+ for Al.
Clinozoisite has composition close to Ca2Al3Si3O12(OH). Epidote has general formula
Ca2(Al,Fe3+)3Si3O12(OH). The most Fe-rich epidotes have about 35% of the Al replaced
by Fe3+.

Identification

These minerals may be hard to identify if present as small accessory grains. When
larger, identification is simpler. High relief, anomalous interference colors or (for
epidote) grains showing many interference colors, are keys to identification. Relief and
birefringence increase with increasing Fe-content.

Important properties

Relief - Relief is high.

Interference colors - Clinozoisite has first order, often somewhat anomalous yellow-
green, interference colors. Epidote has higher order interference colors, typically upper
second- to third-order. Individual grains show multiple colors, sometimes in concentric
rings. First order white interference colors are rarely seen; anomalous interference
colors may replace them, especially at grain edges.
Color - Clinozoisite is colorless. Epidote has a characteristic yellowish green
(sometimes weakly pleochroic) color.
Extinction - Extinction is parallel in elongate grains (not in grains in other orientations).

Similar minerals

Epidote is distinguished from clinopyroxenes by having only a single cleavage, yellow-

green color, parallel extinction, anomalous interference colors, and by its optic sign.
Clinozoisite has lower birefringence than epidote. Epidote is optically negative;
clinozoisite is positive.
Zoisite (not the same mineral as clinozoisite) and olivine have parallel extinction in all
orientations.
Epidote may sometimes be confused with olivine, but olivine shows no cleavage.
The diamond-shaped original crystal was hornblende but it has been replaced by other
minerals. In PP light, chlorite and epidote both appear light green (but the chlorite has a
more "micaceous" character). Under crossed polars (XP) they are distinguished
because the chlorite shows anomalous green-gray interference colors while the epidote
shows upper second order interference colors. Th opaque mineral is magnetite; quartz
and feldspar surround the amphibole grain.

This sample comes from near Garfield, Colorad. The field of view is about 2 mm.

The photos above show epidote that has filled an amygdule in a highly altered basalt.
The color of the epidote is typical: a sort of off-color yellow-green. The interference
colors, too, are classic: various shades of pastels within individual grains. The opaque
material around the amygdule is a mixture of glass, hematite and chlorite. Note several
bubbles introduced when the thin section was made.

The field of view is about 3.5 mm. This specimen comes from Keweenaw County,
Michigan.

The photos show pleochroic hornblende (green hues; PP) and epidote (clear; PP) in a
mafic schist. Note the epidote grains show multiple interference colors creating zones or
concentric rings in most grains (XP). Also note that some of the hornblende shows a
hint of a diamond shape and of amphibole's characteristic 60 o-120o cleavage angle.

The field of view is about 2.5 mm.

Green chlorite, blue glaucophane (an amphibole), clear white mica flakes (bottom
center and right) and a number of small high-relief epidote grains (most are wedge-
shaped) are visible in PP light. In XP light the chlorite shows anomalous interference
colors, the glaucophane shows 2nd order interference colors, in places somewhat
masked by the blue color of the mineral. The mica flakes show obvious mottled 2nd
order interference colors.The epidote grains are hard to pick out in XP light

This sample comes from near Panoche Pass, Callifornia. The field of view is about 2.5
mm.

This section contains abundant blue glaucophane, some showing the classic diamond-
shaped amphibole cross section and cleavage. Many small grains of high-relief epidote
are visible in PP light but get lost in the XP view. The nearly clear matrix material that
encloses the glaucophane and epidote is jadeite. It displays low order inteference
colors, anomalous in some grains, in the XP view.

This sample comes from near Panoche Pass, Callifornia. The field of view is about 2.5
mm.

This view contains high relief clinozoisite surrounded by lower relief quartz (and plagioclase, but
the plagioclase cannot be distinguished in this view). Note that some of the clinozoisite shows
anomalous blue-green interference colors. The patchy interference colors are typical of
epidote/clinozoisite. The high birefringence of one grain suggests that it is epidote. It was not
possible to determine the optic sign of that grain, but the optic sign of a different grain is positive
-- suggesting it is clinozoisite. It is possible that both epidote and clinozoisite are present in this
rock, but chemical analysis is needed to tell for sure.