Vesuvianite
Jeffrey Pit
Asbestos, Quebec, Canada

This specimen measures 11cm x 8cm




Vesuvianite (Idocrase)      Ca10Mg2Al4(SiO4)5(Si2O7)2(OH)4

Sorosilicates; basic calcium, magnesium, aluminum silicate, often with som beryllium and fluorine

Color and Luster: Brown, green, rarely yellow or blue; vitreous; greasy, resinous; streak white

Hardness: 6.5

Cleavage: Poor, one direction

Fracture: Uneven to conchoidal, brittle

Crystals: Tetragonal; usually in short prismatic crystals with square cross section; also columnar, granular, compact like jade

Photo by Mary Sutherland


Descriptions taken from
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals