chloritoid

chloritoid, common silicate mineral, a basic aluminosilicate of manganese, magnesium, and iron. Once thought to be a member of the brittle mica group, chloritoid has been demonstrated to be structurally different; it is further distinguished by its high iron content, its lack of calcium, its greater hardness, and its lesser flexibility. Chloritoid occurs in metamorphosed, fine-grained sediments; it also can be found in lavas, tuffs, and rhyolites. Manganese-rich chloritoid is known as ottrelite; the magnesium-rich variety is called sismondine. For chemical formula and detailed properties, see mica (table).