Unakite

Unakite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock that an altered granitoid composed of orthoclase feldspar (pink), epidote (yellow-green), and quartz (smokey or colorless). Albite-oligoclase plagioclase (white) may or may not be also present.

Bradley first defined and described Unakite in 1874. He named it for Unaka Range of the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

A good quality unakite considered a semiprecious stone. It will take a good polish and often used in jewelry as beads or cabochons and other lapidary work.