Bowenite
Variety Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
Also called Tangiwai and New jade
About it
Tough, translucent antigorite serpentine that looks like jade; harder than most serpentine but softer than jade. Rhode Island's state mineral; also carved in New Zealand (tangiwai), Afghanistan, and China.
- Type
- Variety
- Group
- Antigorite variety (serpentine)
- Formula
- Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5–6
- Specific gravity
- 2.5–2.65
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- waxy, greasy
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Colours
- pale green, yellowish green, apple green
- Transparency
- translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- none in massive form; splintery fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.