Z for Zeolite? Put on you hiking boots. We are trekking!

Zeolites
are in a group of silica minerals from which come several popular semi-precious gem stones. One of the most familiar is Moonstone, an Oligoclase family groupie.

Back tracking from thetecto-silicate subgroup it's easy to get lost but the journey is worth it.

I don't have a picture of my own Oligoclase crystals to show you but you will find Oligoclase in it's common form in most any granite countertop you encounter. Look for the whitish bits that may or may not look like mutton fat. Those are little bits of feldspar, the "sur name" of Oligoclase and Orthoclase.

I was thinking of doing "zipper" but it just seemed too easy. Now I think it would have been a lot smarter to do! Hope this does not give anyone hives, ant bites, or a headache!