Olivine and Garnet Family

OLIVINE AND GARNET FAMILY
Krishna
22/2/2021
Olivine Group
• They belong to nesosilicates
• This group consist of isomorphous
series ie they show solid solution series
• The end members are Forsterite
(Mg2SiO4) and Fayalite (Fe2SiO4). Olivine
= (MgFeSiO4)
• Olive is considered to have
composition of Fo63 Fa37
• General formula R2SiO4 R = Mg and Fe
Members in the olivine group
Physical Properties
 Crystal System – Orthorhombic system
 Form and Habit – Prismatic crystal modified by domes
and pyramid. Some are massive, grains or compact.
 Colour – Shades of green, pale green, olive green
Brownish, white or yellow In forsterite
Brown or black in fayalite
 Cleavage – poor
 Streak - colourless
 Fracture – conchoidal
 Hardness – 6 -7
 Sp Gravity – Fo 3.2, Fa 4.3 olivine is intermediate
Optical properties
1. Colour – colourless for Fo and faint greenish
for Fa
2. Habit - anhedral in plutonic rock to euhedral
in extrusive rocks
3. Relief – high to very high
4. Birefringence - high with third order
interference colour
5. Interference fig- optically Fo is positive Fa is
negative
Alteration
 Very susceptible to hydrothermal alteration, weathering
and the effects of low–grade metamorphism.
 Produce serpentine, chlorite, amphibole, talc etc
 During alteration hydrogen ion is added to olive structure
which helps oxygen to release Mg, Fe2+ Si and adds Fe3+ Al
Ca
Occurrence
 Mg rich olivine associated with ultra basic rock like
perdotite, picrites, dunite. In basic igneous rocks like
gabbro, norite, dolerites baslat
 Fe rich occurs in intermediate rock such as larvikites, alkali
basalt where olive occurs with Qtz.
 Pure forsterite is found metamorphosed impure dolomite
 Olivine in Igneous rock show reaction rim
 Rock entirely made of olivine is DUNITE
 Mg rich olive is found in meteorites of Moon and Sun. it is
rich in iron, nickel, olivine
Varieties
Peridot – gem variety of olivine, transparent, plae green
Uses
• Gemstone variety is peridot. It is yellow green to green
colour
• Olivine is used in metallorgical process as slag conditioner
• In steel industry forsterite is added in blast furnace to
remove impurities
• It is used as refractory material making refractory brick
• Used as casting sand
GARNET GROUP
• Nesosilicates
• General formula X3Y2Si3O12 X = divalent ions like
Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Y= trivalent ions such as Al,
Fe, Cr and Ti
• REE may also substitute in Y position
• Solid solution series within the family are
common. It is a group of six minerals which are
isomorphous in nature. But they never occur
pure
Members of Olivine family
Mainly there are two series
1. Pyralpsite
Pyrope - Mg3Al2Si3O12 Deep crimson
Almandine - Fe3Al2Si3O12 Deep red
Spessartine - Mn3Al2Si3O12 Brownish
red
2. Ugrandite
•Uvarovite Ca3Cr2Si3O12 Emerald green,
yellow or pink
•Grossularite - Ca3Al2Si3O12 Olive green,
•Andradite - Ca3Fe2Si3O12 Dark brown,
yellowish green or brownish green
•A variety called hydrogrossular also

exist which contain hydroxyl group in
their structure.
Physical properties
 Crystal System – Isometric system

 Form and Habit – Dodecahedron - Gr, Sp, Uv, HY
Combination of tetrahedron and dodecahedron – Al An
Angular fragments –Py
Habit - granulat
 Colour – varying with composition
 Cleavage – absent
 Streak – white
 Fracture – uneven
 Lustre – vitreous
 Transparent to translucent
 Hardness – 6 -7
 Sp Gravity – 3.5 -4
Optical properties
1. Colour – colourless to pale pink
2. Habit – subhedral, rounded crystal with
branching cracks. Sometimes show inclusion
of Qtz mica
3. Relief – high to very high
Under XP garnet is isotropic.
Varieties
 Cinnamon-stone (Ca Al garnet) – yellowish in colour,
vitreous, poor lustre and flattish conchoidal fracture
 Common garnet – Fe garnet, brownish red,
translucent to opaque. If it is transparent it
becomes precious variety
 Gem varieties are
Uses
Abrasive – in polishing wood
Gemstone -
Occurrence
• Almandine – medium grade metamorphic rock like
schists and gneisses
• Grossular and Andradite are metamorphosed impure
limestone
• Andradite occurs in metamorphosed igneous rock such
as andesite and in skarn
• Uvarovite occurs in serpentinites
• Pyrope occurs in ultrabasic igneous rock like garnet
peridotites
• Hydrogrossular is found in metasomatized calc-silicate
rock associated with serpentinites.
Thank you

Olivine and Garnet Family

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Olivine and Garnet Family

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Olivine and Garnet Family

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

OLIVINE AND GARNET FAMILY

•A variety called hydrogrossular also

 Crystal System – Isometric system

You might also like