Olivine Medium-Grained Mineral, 2 Pieces

Each Piece Measures Approx. 1-2 Inches in Length
by American Educational Products

A magnesium iron silicate mineral, Olivine was named for its typically olive-green color, though it does sometimes take on a reddish color due to the oxidation of the iron. When found in its more translucent state it can be cut and polished, and is referred to as the gemstone peridot, or chrysolite.

It is typically found in both igneous and metamorphic rocks, and has also been known to occur in meteorites, the Moon, and Mars. Olivine does not weather well, and is one of the weaker minerals. In the presence of water, it will eventually turn to iddingsite, which is a combination of clay minerals, iron oxides, and ferrihydrite minerals.

Origin: NC, Norway.