Physical properties
Habit: massive.
Color: yellowish green, olive green, greenish black, or reddish brown.
Diaphaneity: transparent to translucent.
Luster: vitreous (i.e., glassy).
Cleavage: (001)
good, (010) distinct.
Fracture: conchoidal, brittle.
Streak: white.
Occurrence: basic and
ultrabasic igneous rocks.
Definition
A greenish
rock-forming silicate mineral containing
iron and magnesium. Its clear green form is
the gemstone peridot.
Definition
olivine: An important group ofrock-forming silicate minerals crystallizingin the orthorhombic system.Olivine conforms to the general formula(Mg,Fe)
2SiO
4 and comprises acomplete series from pure magnesiumsilicate (forsterite, Mg
2SiO
4) topure iron silicate (fayalite, Fe
2SiO
4). Itis green, brown-green, or yellowgreenin colour. A gem variety ofolivine is peridot.
Industrial uses
Slag conditioner, refractories (brick, mortars and monolithic castables), foundry sands.
