The facts
What unakite actually is
Unakite is classified as altered granite (epidote + orthoclase + quartz), with the composition Epidote + K-feldspar + quartz assemblage. It crystallises in the aggregate rock system.
Colour comes from pistachio-green epidote with salmon-pink orthoclase and colourless quartz, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.52–1.77 (variable by phase). Specific gravity around 2.85–3.20. Cleavage: component cleavages only. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where unakite comes from
Unakite is produced at Unaka Range, North Carolina/Tennessee, USA (type locality), Lake Superior shores, Michigan, USA, Virginia, USA and South Africa.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How unakite is treated
Untreated. A rock, not a mineral, so bulk RI and SG readings are averages and should not be quoted as constants for identification. Widely used for beads, spheres and tumbled stones.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What unakite is confused with
In the trade unakite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Granite, Thulite, Rhyolite or Dyed granite.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.52–1.77 (variable by phase) and specific gravity 2.85–3.20 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What unakite is used for
Demand for unakite comes from carving and sculpture, decorative objects, architecture and interiors, jewellery, wellness and body care and mineral collecting, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the block, by the piece or by the square metre.
Durability and care
Hardness 6–7; cleavage component cleavages only. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What unakite costs
As a guide, unakite trades around $0.20–3/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is unakite treated, and how?
Untreated. A rock, not a mineral, so bulk RI and SG readings are averages and should not be quoted as constants for identification. Widely used for beads, spheres and tumbled stones.
Where does unakite come from?
Unaka Range, North Carolina/Tennessee, USA (type locality), Lake Superior shores, Michigan, USA, Virginia, USA and South Africa. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is unakite hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 6–7 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does unakite cost?
Indicatively $0.20–3/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is unakite confused with?
Most often Granite, Thulite, Rhyolite and Dyed granite. A refractive index of 1.52–1.77 (variable by phase) and a specific gravity near 2.85–3.20 separate it quickly.
What is unakite used for besides jewellery?
carving and sculpture, decorative objects, architecture and interiors, wellness and body care and mineral collecting. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for unakite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about unakite