Bustamite
Mineral (Mn,Ca)3Si3O9
About it
Pink to brownish-red calcium-manganese silicate, often massive with rhodonite; fine crystals from Broken Hill, Australia, and Franklin, New Jersey. The pink can fade in strong light.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Silicate (inosilicate), wollastonite group
- Formula
- (Mn,Ca)3Si3O9
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5.5–6.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.32–3.43
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy)
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Colours
- pale pink, brownish red
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect in one direction, good in two others
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.