mineral

Green Kyanite

Kyanite (Al2SiO5)

Hardness: Variable anisotropic (4.5 to 7.0 on Mohs scale depending on crystallographic direction), Color: Pale to rich olive green, Luster: Vitreous to pearly, Crystal System: Triclinic, Cleavage: Perfect along {100}, Specific Gravity: 3.53-3.67

Hardness: Variable anisotropic (4

Identified July 22, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed under high-pressure regional metamorphism of aluminum-rich pelitic rocks, typically found in schists and gneisses containing iron or chromium impurities that give it a green hue.

Uses & applications

Used primarily as a collector's mineral specimen, metaphysical gemstone, and occasionally faceted into rare gemstones or used in heat-resistant refractory ceramics.

Geological facts

Kyanite exhibits extreme anisotropic hardness—it can be scratched with a knife blade parallel to its long axis (hardness ~4.5), but resists scratching perpendicular to it (hardness ~7). Green kyanite gets its color from trace amounts of iron and vanadium or chromium.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its distinctive bladed crystal habit, fibrous to columnar structure, parallel cleavage, variable hardness, and sea-green to olive color. Major sources include Brazil, Kenya, India, and North Carolina, USA.