Unakite

Unakite is a metamorphic rock composed of green epidote, pink orthoclase (k-feldspar), and quartz. Unakite forms when granite is altered by hydrothermal fluids, then plagioclase in the granite is transformed into epidote. It was first discovered in North Carolina’s Unakas mountains and was named for this location. Unakite is most often used in jewelry and ornamental carvings but is also used as architectural stone and as construction materials. The front steps of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. are lined with Unakite.