Okenite with Gyrolite & Apophyllite

Okenite with Gyrolite and Apophyllite from Malad Quarry, Malad, Maharashtra, India, measuring 64 × 64 × 57 mm and weighing 163 grams. The three recorded minerals make this a particularly engaging association specimen. Each name adds something to the account, allowing the piece to be appreciated as a small assemblage rather than solely as an example of its principal mineral.

Okenite is a hydrated calcium silicate, and it commonly occurs in openings within basalt. Such openings can become sites for later mineral growth as fluids circulate through the rock. Gyrolite and Apophyllite broaden the silicate association recorded here, drawing attention to the diversity of secondary mineral development associated with Indian volcanic-rock localities.

White, rounded tufts dominate the specimen, with fine fibres giving them a soft, almost cotton-like appearance. More angular, translucent forms are visible around the upper edge, adding a useful contrast to the rounded masses. The attraction is very much in those different growth forms together; the fine projecting material is best enjoyed without touching its surface. The specimen comes from the David Vince Collection. Its appeal is in the combination of a named quarry and three mineral identities that invite closer comparison. For a collector exploring Indian secondary silicates, this piece offers a connected geological subject, with the original locality and collection provenance providing the framework for keeping those associations meaningful over time.