humite group
Quick Summary
The humite group is a collection of layered silicate minerals closely related to olivines. These minerals are typically found in altered limestones and dolomites near plutonic rocks, as well as in skarns near iron-ore deposits.1
The group consists of four main minerals: norbergite, chondrodite, humite, and clinohumite. They are generally yellow to brown and moderately hard. Their layered structure arises from alternating layers of forsterite (magnesium silicate) and brucite (magnesium hydroxide). Differences in their physical properties and crystallization are due to variations in the stacking sequence of these layers. While they rarely occur together, humite crystals have been found interpenetrated by clinohumite.1
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