Earth Sci
Earth Sci
Earth Sci
Topic: STAUROLITE
Staurolitein schist from Little Falls, Minnesota. Specimen is approximately 4 inches (10
centimeters) across.
Stauroliteis a mineral that is commonly found in metamorphic rocks such
as schist and gneiss. It forms when shale is strongly altered by regional metamorphism. It is
often found in association with almandine garnet, muscovite, and kyanite - minerals that form
under similar temperature and pressure conditions.
Compositions:
Staurolite is usually easy to identify when it occurs as visible grains in a metamorphic rock.
Grains of staurolite are typically larger than the grains of other minerals in the rock, and they
often exhibit an obvious crystal structure. They occur as six-sided crystals, often with penetration
twins.
Chemical
Silicate
Classification
Color Usually brown, reddish brown, yellowish brown, brownish black, black, dark gray
Streak Colorless (harder than the streak plate)
Luster Vitreous, sometimes resinous
Diaphaneity Translucent to opaque, rarely transparent
Cleavage Poor
Mohs Hardness 7 to 7.5
Specific Gravity 3.7 to 3.8
Diagnostic Color, six-sided crystals that are frequently twinned, usually found in schist and
Properties gneiss with muscovite mica and almandine garnet
Chemical
(Fe,Mg)2Al9Si4O23(OH)
Composition
Crystal System Monoclinic
Uses Little industrial use
Twinning in Staurolite
The name "staurolite" is from the Greek word "stauros," which means "cross." The mineral
commonly occurs as twinned, six-sided crystals that sometimes intersect at 90 degrees to form a
cross. (An intersection angle of 60 degrees is more common.) In some localities these twinned
crystals are collected, made into jewelry, and sold under the name "fairy crosses."
Uses of Staurolite
There are very few uses for staurolite. It has been used as an abrasive, but that use has been
replaced by other minerals and man-made materials. It is used in geologic field work to assess
the temperature-pressure conditions of a rock's metamorphic history.
Staurolite is the official state mineral of the state of Georgia. It is especially abundant in a few
localities in Patrick County, Virginia. One of them is now Virginia's "Fairy Stone State Park,"
named after the stone and the legends that surround it.