Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
triclinicuncommonInosilicates
Babingtonite
Ca2Fe2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH)
Babingtonite typically forms dark, often lustrous, prismatic to tabular crystals, usually black or very dark green. In the image, it appears as sharp, black crystals contrasting with lighter green prehnite.
Babingtonite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
5.5Crystal System
triclinicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
greenish-grayCleavage
good on {001} and {100}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
3.35Colors
black, dark green, brownish-blackTransparency
translucentType Locality
Qiaojia, Qiaojia County, Zhaotong, Yunnan, ChinaMineral Group
InosilicatesUses
collector, scientificAssociated Minerals
prehnite, quartz, epidote, calcite, zeolitesRarity
uncommonGeological Context
This mineral commonly occurs in cavities within igneous rocks such as granite, diorite, and basalt, and can also be found in contact metamorphic zones or hydrothermal veins. It is often associated with late-stage mineralization.
