Richterite
Mineral Na(NaCa)Mg5Si8O22(OH)2
Take care.
- Can shed asbestos fibres: Keep it in a closed box, and never break, saw, sand, or scrape it.
About it
Brown to yellow or reddish amphibole of skarns and alkaline rocks, as at Långban, Sweden; fibrous richterite and winchite were the asbestos in the vermiculite ore of Libby, Montana.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Silicate (inosilicate), amphibole group
- Formula
- Na(NaCa)Mg5Si8O22(OH)2
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5–6
- Specific gravity
- 2.97–3.45
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), silky
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Colours
- brown, yellow, green, brownish red
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect in two directions at about 56° and 124°
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.