metamorphic
Actinolite
Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectMohs hardness of 5.5 to 6, vibrant green to grayish-green color, vitreous to silky luster, and monoclinic crystal system with prismatic habit.
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6, vibrant green to grayish-green color, vitreous to silky luster, and monoclinic crystal system with prismatic habit.
Formation & geological history
Formed through regional metamorphism of magnesium- and iron-rich rocks like basalt and peridotite, often within greenstone belts.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as a mineral specimen for collectors, sometimes cut as cabochons, and historically linked to jade as a component of nephrite.
Geological facts
Actinolite is an endmember of the tremolite-actinolite solid solution series and is a common constituent of asbestos minerals.
Field identification & locations
Identified in the field by its distinct green columnar crystals or fibrous aggregates; commonly found in metamorphic terranes worldwide.
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