This is a crystal of olivine within the igneous rock basalt.
Click on image for full size version (122K GIF)
Image from: Andrew Alden, About.com Geology Guide
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Olivine looks like little green crystals. It is typically found in some igneous and metamorphic rocks. Often the crystals are so small that you need to use your hand lens or magnifying glass to see them clearly.
- Shape: Orthorhombic (usually a many-sided prism that has an overall sphere shape)
- Luster: Greasy
- Color: Green (but sometimes yellow or brown)
- Streak: White
- Hardness: 6.5-7 on Mohs Hardness Scale
- Cleavage: Yes, but the crystals do not break easily along it
- Fracture: Conchoidal, brittle
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Find out how to identify minerals (...and learn what shape, luster, color, streak, hardness, cleavage and fracture are all about!)
Meet some other silicate minerals!
Olivine
|
This is a crystal of olivine within the igneous rock basalt.
Click on image for full size version (122K GIF)
Image from: Andrew Alden, About.com Geology Guide
|
Olivine looks like little green crystals. It is typically found in some igneous and metamorphic rocks. Often the crystals are so small that you need to use your hand lens or magnifying glass to see them clearly.
- Shape: Orthorhombic (usually a many-sided prism that has an overall sphere shape)
- Luster: Greasy
- Color: Green (but sometimes yellow or brown)
- Streak: White
- Hardness: 6.5-7 on Mohs Hardness Scale
- Cleavage: Yes, but the crystals do not break easily along it
- Fracture: Conchoidal, brittle
|
Find out how to identify minerals (...and learn what shape, luster, color, streak, hardness, cleavage and fracture are all about!)
Meet some other silicate minerals!
Olivine
|
This is a crystal of olivine within the igneous rock basalt.
Click on image for full size version (122K GIF)
Image from: Andrew Alden, About.com Geology Guide
|
The mineral that is green is called olivine!
Look for it in igneous and metamorphic rocks. In this picture, olivine is filling a hole in the igneous rock.
|
Find out how to identify minerals
Meet some other silicate minerals!
Last modified April 16, 2003 by the Windows Team
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