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)
orthorhombiccommonSilicates (Nesosilicates)
Olivine
(Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄
This specimen features a cluster of well-formed, translucent, lustrous, greenish-yellow olivine crystals, specifically the peridot variety. The largest crystal in this miniature specimen measures 4.0 cm in length.
Olivine Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
6.5Crystal System
orthorhombicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
poor/indistinct in two directionsFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.27Colors
greenish-yellow, olive green, yellow-green, brownish-greenTransparency
translucentType Locality
Suppat, Kohistan, PakistanMineral Group
Silicates (Nesosilicates)Uses
jewelry (as peridot), refractory material, industrial (source of magnesium)Associated Minerals
pyroxene, plagioclase, chromite, magnetite, serpentineRarity
commonGeological Context
Olivine is a primary mineral in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks such as basalt, gabbro, peridotite, and dunite, forming at high temperatures and pressures. It is also a major component of the Earth's upper mantle and can be found in some metamorphic rocks and meteorites.
