Zeolites from central France
Last Updated: 1st Jul 2010By Etienne Medard
Below is a synthesis of all the known zeolite occurences in the French Massif Central. Well, "all" is a big word, and I am sure I missed some, but I am trying to be as exhaustive as possible. Localities have been compiled from Lacroix, Tschernisch, mindat, and my own field collecting. For each zeolite, I first list the confirmed localities where I (or friends) have been collecting. Then I list litterature entries, which will stay there until I have visited the outcrop and check all the ID are more or less reasonable. Of course, comments, critics, and suggestions for adding outcrops are welcome. This listing will be used to improve mindat localities in Central France, and as a basis for a series of papers on French zeolites.
Analcime
- Prudeux (St Babel, Puy-de-Dome)
other localities from Tschernich: Puy de la Piquette (with phillipsite - Pongiluppi 1976), Puy de Marmant and Puy de St. Sandoux
(Lacroix, 1913), in phonolite from Puy Grioux, in phonolite at Roche-Tuilliere, with natrolite in basalt at Tour de Boulade, Puy de Chalus, near Cournon, Espalion
other localities from mindat: Loségal dome (Le Pertuis), Mt Peylenc, Sarliève, Puy de la Poix, Lussat
other localities from Lacroix: Queyrieres (basalte), Pont du Chateau (peperite), Puy de la Piquette (peperites), Puy de Chalus (Cournon), Puy Long, Puy de Saint-Sandoux, Puy de Marmant, Parentignat (under tour de Gevillat), Gergovia (carry near the entrance of the village), Puy Griou, road from Murat to Les Chazes (after the Peyretaillade bridge), Roche Tuilliere
Chabazite:
Chabazite typically occurs through two different facies, although some localities have both: simple rhomboedrons, and complex multiple phacolite twins. I will list the two type of occurences separately.
Clear, colorless rhomboedrons:
- Grange de Ganilh (N122 roadcut, Cantal)
- Croix des Boutières (Ardèche side)
- Mont Sémiol (Loire)
- Ferme de la Borne (Goudet, Ardèche)
- Volamont (Haute-Loire)
- Le Collet d'Araules (Haute-Loire) : Chabazite-Ca
Phacolite twins:
- Chaux de Bergonne (Gignat, Puy-de-Dome) : white phacolite twins
other localities from Tschernich : Le Meynial-Laveissiere and Le Martinet (Pongiluppi, 1976), Perrier (phacolite), Puy-de-Marman (phacolite), Chenavari and Rhone, Department of Ardeche, Fay-le-Froid, Prudelles
other localities from mindat : Mt Peylenc, Roca-Neyra (phacolite), RD 537 road works (Ste Geneviève sur Argence, Le Bousquet d'Orlaguet), Le Baumier (Coirons), Mirabel old tower, Mirabel village, Rochessauve, Saint-Pons (Coirons), Saint-Jean-le-Centenier (Mailhac quarry)
other localities from Lacroix: Rochemaure [07], St Jean le Centenier [07], basaltes environs d'Aubenas [07], Touraine, basalte de l'Aubepin, St Pierre Eynac, Foyes, Coulon (+natrolite) [43], Empalat [15], Meynial-Laveyssiere, La Condamine etc... (Aurillac), route de Vic-sur-Cere, puy Mary [15], Perrier, puy de Marman, puy de Chalus pres Cournon, Montaudou, Gergovia [63], trachyte de Gerbison et de Monedeyre (+natrolite) [43], encalves granitiques du trachyte de Montcharret (la Prade) [43]
Clinoptilolite:
- Mine des Rois (Dallet) : colorless crystals of clinoptilolite-Ca
microscopic sedimentary occurences in the Limagne Basin
Direnzoite:
other locality - Mont Peylenc, type (and only known) locality
Erionite:
not clearly confirmed, could be associated with offretite
other localities from Tschernich : Mont Semiol, Araules.
other localities from mindat : Mt Peylenc, Saint-Jean-le-Centenier (Mailhac quarry)
Garronite:
- La Chaux de Bergonne (Gignat, Puy-de-Dome): microscopic crusts
Gismondine:
- Boisséjour : clear crystals in thermometamorphic sandstones
other localities from Tschernich : Ferme Chabane Saint-Agreve in Ardeche, Aubenas Ardeche (Gottardi and Galli, 1985), the gismondine reported by Lacroix (1913) from Ardeche and Puy-de-Dome areas very likely corresponds to the garronite found by Pongiluppi (1976).
other localities from Lacroix: Chabane near St Agrève (+ Chabazite, Thomsonite), bois de Verrière
Gonnardite:
- Chaux de Bergonne : type locality, white spherules with outer thomsonite shell
other locality from Lacroix: Puy de Chalus near Cournon.
Harmotome:
other locality from Lacroix: galerie de Villaret des mines de galène de Vialas
Heulandite
- Tintignac (A89 roadworks near Naves, Corrèze): heulandite-Ca, boxlike colorless crystals
other localities from mindat : Brie Quarry ? (Champagnac-la-Rivière)
Mazzite:
- Mont Sémiol : type locality of mazzite-Mg, sprays of colorless hexagonal needles
Mesolite:
no confirmed occurrence so far
other localities from Tschernich : fibrous bundles of mesolite form aggregates with phillipsite in basalt at Puy de La Ville, Auvergne
and Bergonne (Hintze, 1897) - erroneous ???
other localities from mindat : Mine des Rois, Puy de Marmant (erroneous entry ?), Espalion, Détroit de Rodez, Mont Semiol
Natrolite:
- Puy de la Piquette : fat quadratic crystals
- Puy de Marmant : large colorless crystals
- Prudeux (St Babel) : fat quadratic crystals
- Saint Jean des Ollières (Carrière de Bussiol) : sprays of white crystals
other localities from Tschernich: Parentignat, Peyreneyre near Saint Amant-Tallende, Puy de la Poix, Perrier, Espalion, Puy de Montaudoux, Puy de la Garde (Billom)
other localities from mindat: La Chaux de Bergonne, Rataboul Q (Laguiole), Détroit de Rodez, Alba (Coirons)
other localities from Lacroix: Rochemaure [07], spring of the Pourseille river [07] (Montpezat), trachytes from Gerbison [43], Monedeyre [43], basalt from l'Aubepin [43], Saint-Pierre Eynac [43], Farges [43], Coubon [43] (with chabazite), Jacassy [43], Coissy [15] (Aurillac), scoria at Lacondamine (Aurillac) [15], Gergovie [63], tour de Gevillat near Parentignat [63] (Boulade), Saint Sandoux [63] (in peperites), Buron [63], Peyreneyre [63] (St Amand Talende), Puy de la Poix [63] (+calcite), Perrier (Rocca Neyra ?) [63], Cournon (peperite) [63], puy de Mur [63], Dallet [63], puy de la Garde (St Jean des Ollieres) [63], St Sandoux (hydronephelite, alteration of nepheline) [63]
Offretite:
Colorless, transparent hexagonal prisms, sometimes aggregating as spheres or "ears". Some of the spheres can have a perfectly flat surface.
- Mont Sémiol (Loire): type locality, various shapes but mostly hexagonal prisms
- Grange de Ganilh (N122 roadcut, Cantal): hexagonal prisms, some spheres (visual identification)
- Ferme de la Borne (Goudet, Ardèche): colorless "ears" or spheres
- Le Collet d'Araules (Haute-Loire): offretite with erionite-type defects
- Volamont (Haute-Loire): fat hexagonal prism, bundles, "mushrooms"
other localities from mindat: Mailhac / St Jean le Centenier
Paulingite:
- Saint-Julien-Boutières (Ardèche): paulingite-K
Phillipsite:
Mostly as colorless, transparent morvenite twins, sometimes forming spheres or more complex twins (Marburg, Perrier, Stempel)
- Grange de Ganilh (N122 roadcut, Cantal) - colorless twinned crystals
- Croix des Boutières (Ardèche side)
- Mont Sémiol (Loire): clear, colorless rhomboedrons
- Ferme de la Borne (Goudet, Ardèche): clear, colorless rhomboedrons
- Chaux-de-Bergonne (Gignat, Puy-de-Dome) - type locality of gonnardite
- Roca Neyra (Perrier, Puy-de-Dome) - of the "Perrier twin" fame
- Saint-Jean-des-Ollières (Bussiol quarry, Puy-de-Dome)
- Puy de la Piquette (Puy-de-Dome)
- Montclaret (near St Georges Hauteville, Loire)
- Le Collet d'Araules (Haute-Loire) : Phillipsite-K - Phillipsite-Ca
- Volamont (Haute-Loire)
other localities from Tschernich: Mailhac/Saint-Jean-le-Centenier, Chateaugay, Espalion, Puy de la Velle near Clemensat, Prudelles, Gergovie at ravin de Bonneval, Aubieres ?, Forez ?, Montaudoux near Royat, Bourbonne les bains, Puy de Marmant
other localities from mindat: Route d'Albepierre, Faverolles quarry, Mont Peylenc, Rataboul Quarry (Laguiole), Détroit de Rodez, Le Bousquet d'Orlaguet (RD 537 road works), Alba, Le Baumier, tour de Mirabel, Mirabel, Saint Pons
other localities from Lacroix: Saint-Jean-le-Centenier, Aubenas, basalt from Chabane (St Agrève), Rochemaure, right bank of Lignon below Fay-le-Froid, Saint-Jeures, Taulhac road near Le Puy, Albepierre road near Murat, Puy de Marman, puy de la Velle (Champeix), cap de Prudelles, Gergovia (ravin de Bonneval, near petit Perignat), above Aubiere (with aragonite), eperon NE de Chanturgues, Montaudou Q. near Royat, puy de Chalus near Cournon (Stempel), Saint-Sandoux, route de Verrière à Saint-Anthème, hameau de Robert et de Bruyère, aux environs de Gummières, sanidinites de Monac, trachyte de Montcharret
Scolecite
no confirmed occurence so far
other locality from Tschernich: Tour de Boulade (likely erroneously reported, see Lacroix)
other localities from mindat: Carrière de Bussiol, Espalion
other localities from Lacroix: might occur at Gergovie (domaine de Prat near Sarlieve)
Stilbite
- Tintignac (A89 roadworks near Naves, Corrèze): stilbite-Ca
- Creuzeval Quarry (Rhône): stilbite-Ca
Thomsonite
- La Chaux de Bergonne (Gignat) : outer part of the gonnardite spheres
other localities from Tschernich : Le Martinet
other localities from Lacroix: basalt from Aubenas [07] (+ philippsite, chabazite), basalt from Chabane [07] (St Agreve), Bois de Verriere [42] (Loire, with Philippsite and Chabazite)
Apophyllite
This is not a zeolite, but it is commonly associated with zeolites.
- Puy de la Piquette (Puy-de-Dome)
other localities from mindat : Pic de Bussiol, Espalion
other locality from Lacroix: West from Prudelles [63]
Analcime
- Prudeux (St Babel, Puy-de-Dome)
other localities from Tschernich: Puy de la Piquette (with phillipsite - Pongiluppi 1976), Puy de Marmant and Puy de St. Sandoux
(Lacroix, 1913), in phonolite from Puy Grioux, in phonolite at Roche-Tuilliere, with natrolite in basalt at Tour de Boulade, Puy de Chalus, near Cournon, Espalion
other localities from mindat: Loségal dome (Le Pertuis), Mt Peylenc, Sarliève, Puy de la Poix, Lussat
other localities from Lacroix: Queyrieres (basalte), Pont du Chateau (peperite), Puy de la Piquette (peperites), Puy de Chalus (Cournon), Puy Long, Puy de Saint-Sandoux, Puy de Marmant, Parentignat (under tour de Gevillat), Gergovia (carry near the entrance of the village), Puy Griou, road from Murat to Les Chazes (after the Peyretaillade bridge), Roche Tuilliere
Chabazite:
Chabazite typically occurs through two different facies, although some localities have both: simple rhomboedrons, and complex multiple phacolite twins. I will list the two type of occurences separately.
Clear, colorless rhomboedrons:
- Grange de Ganilh (N122 roadcut, Cantal)
- Croix des Boutières (Ardèche side)
- Mont Sémiol (Loire)
- Ferme de la Borne (Goudet, Ardèche)
- Volamont (Haute-Loire)
- Le Collet d'Araules (Haute-Loire) : Chabazite-Ca
Phacolite twins:
- Chaux de Bergonne (Gignat, Puy-de-Dome) : white phacolite twins
other localities from Tschernich : Le Meynial-Laveissiere and Le Martinet (Pongiluppi, 1976), Perrier (phacolite), Puy-de-Marman (phacolite), Chenavari and Rhone, Department of Ardeche, Fay-le-Froid, Prudelles
other localities from mindat : Mt Peylenc, Roca-Neyra (phacolite), RD 537 road works (Ste Geneviève sur Argence, Le Bousquet d'Orlaguet), Le Baumier (Coirons), Mirabel old tower, Mirabel village, Rochessauve, Saint-Pons (Coirons), Saint-Jean-le-Centenier (Mailhac quarry)
other localities from Lacroix: Rochemaure [07], St Jean le Centenier [07], basaltes environs d'Aubenas [07], Touraine, basalte de l'Aubepin, St Pierre Eynac, Foyes, Coulon (+natrolite) [43], Empalat [15], Meynial-Laveyssiere, La Condamine etc... (Aurillac), route de Vic-sur-Cere, puy Mary [15], Perrier, puy de Marman, puy de Chalus pres Cournon, Montaudou, Gergovia [63], trachyte de Gerbison et de Monedeyre (+natrolite) [43], encalves granitiques du trachyte de Montcharret (la Prade) [43]
Clinoptilolite:
- Mine des Rois (Dallet) : colorless crystals of clinoptilolite-Ca
microscopic sedimentary occurences in the Limagne Basin
Direnzoite:
other locality - Mont Peylenc, type (and only known) locality
Erionite:
not clearly confirmed, could be associated with offretite
other localities from Tschernich : Mont Semiol, Araules.
other localities from mindat : Mt Peylenc, Saint-Jean-le-Centenier (Mailhac quarry)
Garronite:
- La Chaux de Bergonne (Gignat, Puy-de-Dome): microscopic crusts
Gismondine:
- Boisséjour : clear crystals in thermometamorphic sandstones
other localities from Tschernich : Ferme Chabane Saint-Agreve in Ardeche, Aubenas Ardeche (Gottardi and Galli, 1985), the gismondine reported by Lacroix (1913) from Ardeche and Puy-de-Dome areas very likely corresponds to the garronite found by Pongiluppi (1976).
other localities from Lacroix: Chabane near St Agrève (+ Chabazite, Thomsonite), bois de Verrière
Gonnardite:
- Chaux de Bergonne : type locality, white spherules with outer thomsonite shell
other locality from Lacroix: Puy de Chalus near Cournon.
Harmotome:
other locality from Lacroix: galerie de Villaret des mines de galène de Vialas
Heulandite
- Tintignac (A89 roadworks near Naves, Corrèze): heulandite-Ca, boxlike colorless crystals
other localities from mindat : Brie Quarry ? (Champagnac-la-Rivière)
Mazzite:
- Mont Sémiol : type locality of mazzite-Mg, sprays of colorless hexagonal needles
Mesolite:
no confirmed occurrence so far
other localities from Tschernich : fibrous bundles of mesolite form aggregates with phillipsite in basalt at Puy de La Ville, Auvergne
and Bergonne (Hintze, 1897) - erroneous ???
other localities from mindat : Mine des Rois, Puy de Marmant (erroneous entry ?), Espalion, Détroit de Rodez, Mont Semiol
Natrolite:
- Puy de la Piquette : fat quadratic crystals
- Puy de Marmant : large colorless crystals
- Prudeux (St Babel) : fat quadratic crystals
- Saint Jean des Ollières (Carrière de Bussiol) : sprays of white crystals
other localities from Tschernich: Parentignat, Peyreneyre near Saint Amant-Tallende, Puy de la Poix, Perrier, Espalion, Puy de Montaudoux, Puy de la Garde (Billom)
other localities from mindat: La Chaux de Bergonne, Rataboul Q (Laguiole), Détroit de Rodez, Alba (Coirons)
other localities from Lacroix: Rochemaure [07], spring of the Pourseille river [07] (Montpezat), trachytes from Gerbison [43], Monedeyre [43], basalt from l'Aubepin [43], Saint-Pierre Eynac [43], Farges [43], Coubon [43] (with chabazite), Jacassy [43], Coissy [15] (Aurillac), scoria at Lacondamine (Aurillac) [15], Gergovie [63], tour de Gevillat near Parentignat [63] (Boulade), Saint Sandoux [63] (in peperites), Buron [63], Peyreneyre [63] (St Amand Talende), Puy de la Poix [63] (+calcite), Perrier (Rocca Neyra ?) [63], Cournon (peperite) [63], puy de Mur [63], Dallet [63], puy de la Garde (St Jean des Ollieres) [63], St Sandoux (hydronephelite, alteration of nepheline) [63]
Offretite:
Colorless, transparent hexagonal prisms, sometimes aggregating as spheres or "ears". Some of the spheres can have a perfectly flat surface.
- Mont Sémiol (Loire): type locality, various shapes but mostly hexagonal prisms
- Grange de Ganilh (N122 roadcut, Cantal): hexagonal prisms, some spheres (visual identification)
- Ferme de la Borne (Goudet, Ardèche): colorless "ears" or spheres
- Le Collet d'Araules (Haute-Loire): offretite with erionite-type defects
- Volamont (Haute-Loire): fat hexagonal prism, bundles, "mushrooms"
other localities from mindat: Mailhac / St Jean le Centenier
Paulingite:
- Saint-Julien-Boutières (Ardèche): paulingite-K
Phillipsite:
Mostly as colorless, transparent morvenite twins, sometimes forming spheres or more complex twins (Marburg, Perrier, Stempel)
- Grange de Ganilh (N122 roadcut, Cantal) - colorless twinned crystals
- Croix des Boutières (Ardèche side)
- Mont Sémiol (Loire): clear, colorless rhomboedrons
- Ferme de la Borne (Goudet, Ardèche): clear, colorless rhomboedrons
- Chaux-de-Bergonne (Gignat, Puy-de-Dome) - type locality of gonnardite
- Roca Neyra (Perrier, Puy-de-Dome) - of the "Perrier twin" fame
- Saint-Jean-des-Ollières (Bussiol quarry, Puy-de-Dome)
- Puy de la Piquette (Puy-de-Dome)
- Montclaret (near St Georges Hauteville, Loire)
- Le Collet d'Araules (Haute-Loire) : Phillipsite-K - Phillipsite-Ca
- Volamont (Haute-Loire)
other localities from Tschernich: Mailhac/Saint-Jean-le-Centenier, Chateaugay, Espalion, Puy de la Velle near Clemensat, Prudelles, Gergovie at ravin de Bonneval, Aubieres ?, Forez ?, Montaudoux near Royat, Bourbonne les bains, Puy de Marmant
other localities from mindat: Route d'Albepierre, Faverolles quarry, Mont Peylenc, Rataboul Quarry (Laguiole), Détroit de Rodez, Le Bousquet d'Orlaguet (RD 537 road works), Alba, Le Baumier, tour de Mirabel, Mirabel, Saint Pons
other localities from Lacroix: Saint-Jean-le-Centenier, Aubenas, basalt from Chabane (St Agrève), Rochemaure, right bank of Lignon below Fay-le-Froid, Saint-Jeures, Taulhac road near Le Puy, Albepierre road near Murat, Puy de Marman, puy de la Velle (Champeix), cap de Prudelles, Gergovia (ravin de Bonneval, near petit Perignat), above Aubiere (with aragonite), eperon NE de Chanturgues, Montaudou Q. near Royat, puy de Chalus near Cournon (Stempel), Saint-Sandoux, route de Verrière à Saint-Anthème, hameau de Robert et de Bruyère, aux environs de Gummières, sanidinites de Monac, trachyte de Montcharret
Scolecite
no confirmed occurence so far
other locality from Tschernich: Tour de Boulade (likely erroneously reported, see Lacroix)
other localities from mindat: Carrière de Bussiol, Espalion
other localities from Lacroix: might occur at Gergovie (domaine de Prat near Sarlieve)
Stilbite
- Tintignac (A89 roadworks near Naves, Corrèze): stilbite-Ca
- Creuzeval Quarry (Rhône): stilbite-Ca
Thomsonite
- La Chaux de Bergonne (Gignat) : outer part of the gonnardite spheres
other localities from Tschernich : Le Martinet
other localities from Lacroix: basalt from Aubenas [07] (+ philippsite, chabazite), basalt from Chabane [07] (St Agreve), Bois de Verriere [42] (Loire, with Philippsite and Chabazite)
Apophyllite
This is not a zeolite, but it is commonly associated with zeolites.
- Puy de la Piquette (Puy-de-Dome)
other localities from mindat : Pic de Bussiol, Espalion
other locality from Lacroix: West from Prudelles [63]
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La Chaux de Bergonne, Gignat, Issoire, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France