Chemical formula | Na2Mg3Al2Si8O22(OH)2 |
Class | Inosilicate Double chains of linked tetrahedra |
Crystal system | Monoclinic |
Habit | Acicular Asbestiform Fibrous |
Color | Blue Gray |
Hardness | 6-6.5 |
Specific gravity | 3.1 to 3.2 |
Cleavage/fracture | Two perfect prismatic {110}/ uneven |
Luster | Vitreous |
Transparency | Transparent to translucent |
Streak | White to very light blue |
δ | 0.01 – 0.02 |
PPL | Colorless to blue or violet Often strongly pleochroic |
XPL | Up to 2nd order interference colors Interference color may be masked by mineral color |
after Perkins, 333 |
Glaucophane in Hand Sample
Glaucophane in Turkish blueschist
Glaucophane in Greek blueschist (the two samples on the left)
Fine-grained blueschist
Medium-grained blueschist
Garnet-studded retrograde blueschist after eclogite