Mineral

Bronzite

(Mg,Fe)SiO3

Hardness: 5.5. Color: Brown with gold or bronze-like sub-metallic luster (chatoyancy). Luster: Sub-metallic to vitreous. Crystal structure: Orthorhombic. Cleavage: Good in two directions.

Hardness: 5
Luster: Sub-metallic to vitreous

Identified June 18, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 5.5. Color: Brown with gold or bronze-like sub-metallic luster (chatoyancy). Luster: Sub-metallic to vitreous. Crystal structure: Orthorhombic. Cleavage: Good in two directions.

Formation & geological history

Formed in ultramafic igneous rocks like pyroxenites and peridotites, often as a result of magmatic differentiation. It can also occur in some meteorites.

Uses & applications

Primarily used as a lapidary material for cabochons, beads, and carved objects in jewelry making due to its distinctive sub-metallic, chatoyant flash. Also valued by mineral collectors.

Geological facts

Bronzite is an intermediate member of the enstatite-ferrosilite solid solution series in the pyroxene group. The distinctive bronze-like luster is caused by submicroscopic inclusions or exsolution lamellae, often resulting from partial alteration.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its characteristic brown color and the distinct bronze-like, sometimes slightly fibrous-looking, chatoyant flash when moved in the light. Often found blocky or massive. Common locations include Austria, USA, South Africa, and Brazil.