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)
monoclinicuncommonSilicates
Chondrodite
(Mg,Fe²⁺)₅(SiO₄)₂(F,OH,O)₂
This specimen features several well-formed, translucent, brownish-orange chondrodite crystals, some displaying distinct crystal faces, embedded within a matrix.
Chondrodite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
6Crystal System
monoclinicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
poor on {001}Fracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.2Colors
orange, yellow, reddish-brownTransparency
translucentType Locality
Ladjuar Medam (Lajur Madan; Lapis-lazuli Mine), Sar-e-Sang District, Koksha Valley, Badakhshan Province, AfghanistanMineral Group
SilicatesUses
collector, gemstone (rarely)Associated Minerals
spinel, calcite, phlogopite, magnetiteRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Chondrodite is a nesosilicate mineral that typically forms in metamorphosed dolomitic limestones and marbles, often in contact metamorphic environments, resulting from the reaction of dolomite with silica-rich fluids.
