igneous
Olivine in Quartz/Feldspar Matrix (Peridotite or Granitic Pegmatite)
(Mg,Fe)2SiO4 (Olivine) with Quartz / Feldspar
Hardness: 6.5-7 for olivine, 6 for feldspar, 7 for quartz. Color: Pale green to olive-green crystals mixed with white/cream matrix. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal structure: Orthorhombic olivine grains embedded in a coarse-grained crystalline matrix.
- Hardness
- 6
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
Identified More igneous →
Explore Olivine in Quartz/Feldspar Matrix (Peridotite or Granitic Pegmatite) in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 6.5-7 for olivine, 6 for feldspar, 7 for quartz. Color: Pale green to olive-green crystals mixed with white/cream matrix. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal structure: Orthorhombic olivine grains embedded in a coarse-grained crystalline matrix.
Formation & geological history
Formed through slow crystallization of silicate magma deep within the Earth's crust or upper mantle. Common in ultramafic to mafic igneous intrusions, xenoliths, or pegmatitic contacts.
Uses & applications
Mainly collected by amateur mineralogists and rockhounds as a specimen. Olivine is used industrially as a refractory material and sandblasting abrasive, or gemstone (peridot) when gem-quality.
Geological facts
Olivine is one of the most common minerals in Earth's upper mantle and is also found in many meteorites (pallasites) and lunar rocks.
Field identification & locations
Identified by the distinct sugary texture of pale olive-green olivine or epidote crystals embedded within a white feldspathic/quartzose groundmass. Look for greenish vitreous inclusions. Commonly found in basaltic flows, peridotite deposits, or metamorphic skarns.
