Hexagonite
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Categorymineral variety of tremolite
Colorred to pink, lilac to purple
| Hexagonite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | mineral variety of tremolite |
| Formula | Ca2Mg5 (Si8O22) (OH)2 |
| Space group | monoclinic – prismatic |
| Identification | |
| Color | red to pink, lilac to purple |
| Crystal habit | elongated, bladed crystals, granula |
| Twinning | simple, multiple |
| Cleavage | [110] perfect; [010] distinct |
| Fracture | uneven |
| Tenacity | brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 5.0–6.0 |
| Luster | vitreous |
| Refractive index | 1.599–1.637 biaxial ( - ) |
| Birefringence | 0.019–0.028 |
| Pleochroism | bluish–red, deep rose, deep red–violet |
| Dispersion | weak, r < v |
Hexagonite is the red to pink, lilac to purple manganoan variety of tremolite. A rare amphibole, it can be transparent, translucent, and rarely opaque.
Hexagonite is pleochroic, potentially displaying varying shades of blue, violet, purple, or red.[1] It is also known as "mangan-tremolite", since the manganese imparts the mineral's unique colors.[citation needed] Pink, lilac, and purple are the most common colors.[1] Hexagonite has been successfully faceted.[1]
