mineral
Olivine (Peridot)
(Mg,Fe)2SiO4
Hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, olive-green color, vitreous to greasy luster, orthorhombic crystal system, conchoidal fracture with indistinct cleavage, and a specific gravity around 3.2 to 4.4 depending on iron content.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, olive-green color, vitreous to greasy luster, orthorhombic crystal system, conchoidal fracture with indistinct cleavage, and a specific gravity around 3.2 to 4.4 depending on iron content.
Formation & geological history
Formed in high-temperature igneous environments such as mafic and ultramafic rocks like peridotite and basalt in the Earth's mantle, and can also be found in certain stony-iron meteorites.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as a gemstone (peridot), in refractory materials for steel production, and as a component in foundry sands.
Geological facts
Olivine is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's upper mantle and is frequently the primary mineral component of mantle xenoliths brought to the surface by volcanic activity.
Field identification & locations
Easily recognized by its distinct olive-green color and granular habit in rocks, commonly found in volcanic regions, beach sands of volcanic islands, and as nodule inclusions in basaltic lavas.
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Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic