Olivine Archives - Cochise College Geology

Olivine

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Chemical Group: Silicate

Chemical Formula: (Mg,Fe)₂SiO_4\

Color: Olive Green, white, brown, black | Streak: White or gray

Luster: Vitreous | Transparency: Transparent to translucent

Hardness: 6.5 | Specific Gravity: 3.22 to 4.39

Cleavage: One direct, indistinct

Crystal Forms and Habits: Orthorhombic system. Olivine is commonly found in basalts as isolated crystals or granular xenoliths.

Uses: When transparent, green, and devoid of fractures, olivine is the gemstone peridot.

Occurrences:
Arizona famous location: Peridot on the San Carlos Indian Reservation in southern Arizona, about 80 miles east of Phoenix. The olivine occurs as granular masses in a basalt flow perhaps 3 to 20 feet thick. The gemmy olivine is faceted in Germany and Hong Kong to become the gemstone peridot.
California:2 miles North of Dish Hill which is 15 miles East of Ludlow on old route 666 between Needles and Barstow).
New Mexico: Portillo Maar and Kilbourne Hole, close to U.S./Mexico border, about 25 miles Northwest of El Paso

Toxicity: When swallowed: Low | When inhaled: High

Additional Information: Olivine is a mineral series that ranges from magnesium-rich (fayalite) to iron-rich (forsterite).

Back to Minerals

Photos

Olivine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

olivine-peridot-faceted gems — Olivine-Peridot Faceted Gems

olivine-loose grains-microscopic view-Arizona — Olivine-Loose Grains-Microscopic View Arizona

olivine-light green grainy-close view — Olivine-Light Green Grainy-Close View

olivine-light green grandular — Olivine-Light Green Granular

olivine-loose grains-Arizona — Olivine-Loose Grains-Arizona

olivine-green crystal in basalt-Hawaii — Olivine-Green Crystal In Basalt-Hawaii

olivine-light green grainy — Olivine-Light Green Grainy

olivine-forsterite-green crystal-ammm — Olivine-Forsterite-Green Crystal

olivine-green crystals in basalt-Arizona — Olivine-Green Crystals In Basalt-Arizona

olivine-beach sand-New-Zealand — Olivine-Beach Sand-New Zealand

olivine-forsterite-green crystal — Olivine-Forsterite-Green Crystal

olivine-crystal-microscopic view — Olivine-Crystal-Microscopic View

olivine in weathered basalt — Olivine in Weathered Basalt

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