Enstatite: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| (9 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
A pyroxene mineral composed of magnesium silicate. Enstatite was first described by G.A. Kenngott in 1855. It occurs naturally in metamorphic rocks and meterorites. The mineral is usually a gray, pale green, or brown in color although a gemstone quality emerald green variety occurs rarely. Weathered enstatite can have a metallic luster and is called bronzite. Enstatite can alter to form [ | A pyroxene mineral composed of magnesium silicate. Enstatite was first described by G.A. Kenngott in 1855. It occurs naturally in metamorphic rocks and meterorites. The mineral is usually a gray, pale green, or brown in color although a gemstone quality emerald green variety occurs rarely. Weathered enstatite can have a metallic luster and is called bronzite. Enstatite can alter to form [[steatite]]. Steatite may also be heated to form enstatite. | ||
[[[SliderGallery rightalign|Enstatite.TIF~FTIR (MFA)|Enstatite IR-ATR RRUFF R050644.png~IR-ATR (RRUFF)|Enstatite Raman RRUFF R050644.png~Raman (RRUFF)|enstatiteRS.jpg~Raman (RASMIN)]]] | |||
== Synonyms and Related Terms == | == Synonyms and Related Terms == | ||
bronzite; Enstatit (Deut.); enstatiet (Ned.) | bronzite; Enstatit (Deut.); enstatiet (Ned.) | ||
==Physical and Chemical Properties== | |||
* Orthorhombic crystal system with prismatic crystals commonly lamellar, fibrous or massive | |||
== | * Cleavage = distinct in two directions | ||
* Fracture = uneven | |||
Orthorhombic crystal system | * Luster = vitreous to pearly | ||
* Streak = gray | |||
* Fluorescence = inert | |||
* Pleochroism = weak to strong; pink to green; green to yellowish green; or brown to yellow | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| Line 20: | Line 23: | ||
|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"| Mohs Hardness | ! scope="row"| Mohs Hardness | ||
| 5-6 | | 5 - 6 | ||
|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"| Density | ! scope="row"| Density | ||
| 3.21-3.96 | | 3.21-3.96 g/ml | ||
|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"| Refractive Index | ! scope="row"| Refractive Index | ||
| 1.650-1. | | 1.650-1.679 | ||
|- | |||
! scope="row"| Birefringence | |||
| 0.008 - 0.11 | |||
|} | |} | ||
== | ==Resources and Citations== | ||
* Gem Identification Lab Manual, Gemological Institute of America, 2016. | |||
* Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enstatite Enstatite] (Accessed Nov. 2, 2005 and Dec 2022) | |||
* Minerals.net: [https://www.minerals.net/mineral/enstatite.aspx Enstatite] | |||
* Wikipedia | |||
[[Category:Materials database]] | [[Category:Materials database]] | ||
Latest revision as of 15:03, 23 December 2022
Description
A pyroxene mineral composed of magnesium silicate. Enstatite was first described by G.A. Kenngott in 1855. It occurs naturally in metamorphic rocks and meterorites. The mineral is usually a gray, pale green, or brown in color although a gemstone quality emerald green variety occurs rarely. Weathered enstatite can have a metallic luster and is called bronzite. Enstatite can alter to form steatite. Steatite may also be heated to form enstatite.
Synonyms and Related Terms
bronzite; Enstatit (Deut.); enstatiet (Ned.)
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Orthorhombic crystal system with prismatic crystals commonly lamellar, fibrous or massive
- Cleavage = distinct in two directions
- Fracture = uneven
- Luster = vitreous to pearly
- Streak = gray
- Fluorescence = inert
- Pleochroism = weak to strong; pink to green; green to yellowish green; or brown to yellow
| Composition | MgSiO3 |
|---|---|
| Mohs Hardness | 5 - 6 |
| Density | 3.21-3.96 g/ml |
| Refractive Index | 1.650-1.679 |
| Birefringence | 0.008 - 0.11 |