Bronzite
Variety (Mg,Fe)SiO3
About it
Iron-bearing enstatite with a bronzy, metallic-looking shimmer on its cleavage faces, found in peridotite and other dark igneous rocks. An old name mineralogists no longer use; polished into cabochons and beads.
- Type
- Variety
- Group
- Enstatite variety (pyroxene)
- Formula
- (Mg,Fe)SiO3
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5–6
- Specific gravity
- 3.2–3.4
- Streak
- white to greyish
- Lustre
- submetallic, vitreous (glassy)
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Colours
- brown, bronze, greenish brown
- Transparency
- opaque, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- good prismatic in two directions at about 88°
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.