Chabazite (Var: Phacolite)

A small specimen of vesicular basalt from the world-famous Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, packed with many colourless crystals of chabazite var. phacolite on the host rock. The delicate crystals illustrate the zeolite mineralization commonly found within the basalt flows of this volcanic province.

The Giant’s Causeway is one of the most iconic geological localities in the world, consisting of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed during a Paleogene volcanic fissure eruption. Located on the north coast of County Antrim, the site is famous for its striking hexagonal columns, some reaching up to 12 metres in height. The area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and later became a national nature reserve. Vesicles within the basalt occasionally host zeolite minerals such as chabazite, forming small but attractive crystals. Mineral collecting and rock removal are strictly prohibited at the Giant's Causeway, making this old stock material very difficult to come across nowadays.