Epidote

[christianswest]

I found about 7 pieces of epidote in Pawnee Grasslands and was wondering if anyone has experience tumbling it.  Or should I polish individual pieces using the progressive grit pads?  If tumbling it, can I tumble it with prairie agates?  Any information would be appreciated.

[vegasjames]

Epidote is part of unakite, which can be tumbled.

Epidote hardness is from 6 to 7. The microcrystalline epidote should be harder than the macrocystalline epidote, and with a hardness of 7 can be tumbled with agates, which are also 7.

[christianswest]

Nov 4, 2024 23:56:22 GMT -5 vegasjames said:

Epidote is part of unakite, which can be tumbled.

Epidote hardness is from 6 to 7. The microcrystalline epidote should be harder than the macrocystalline epidote, and with a hardness of 7 can be tumbled with agates, which are also 7.

That’s my thinking.  I happened upon a post in the archives that talks about epidote losing significantly more mass than other rocks it was tumbled with.  I was wondering if that was with all epidote or with just the picture of epidote that he secured with other crystals in it.  My epidote seems pretty solid.

[Bob]

I tumble a lot of it including pieces of it solid up to grapefruit size. My experience is mixed. Maybe 1/3 turn out pretty nice and with a decent shine. The rest never get shiny, or have softer and sometimes porous areas that are problems. Currently I'm tumbling lots of large ones from the shores of Lake Superior. Since green is one of my fav colors, I enjoy trying though and those that do come through make it worthwhile.

[wanderingrockhound]

I often had fractures show up later in the process with the epidote I find, so it can be a heartbreak rock. but the pieces that come through good are beautiful. more quartz based/ silicified and smaller crystals the better for tumbling.

[chris1956]

The epidote found in Michigan typically polishes well.  You will find it in a lot of the Michigan Rocks videos.  Should do well with the quartz.