A mineral which was identified in 1788 from deposits in
Oberstein in the
Rhineland. The name comes from a supposed
Greek word 'habazios'- which in the early 19th century was believed to have been used for an unknown, beautiful mineral in an ancient Greek poem. However, it is probable that 'habazios' is actually a mistaken spelling of 'halazios' - hail. Crystals of this mineral, up to 2.5 cm long, were later found near
Repcice in
Bohemia.
The rhombohedral chabazitre crystals are often intertwined in regular combinations, forming lenticular shapes, so-called phacolites. Apart from deposits already named, there are also occurances near Strzegom in Polish Silesia, in Iceland, Canada, Chile and Australia.