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Mineralpedia Details for Clinochlore

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Clinochlore

Clinochlore

Named after the Greek words for “incline,” klino, and “green,” chloros, for its typical color and inclined optic axes. Pseudohexagonal crystals that are sommonly foliates, fibrous, granular, earthy, or massive and range in colors from grass to olive green, yellowish, white, pink, or red. Part of the chlorite group, Clinochlore is commonly a product of hydrothermal alteration of amphibole, pyroxene, and biotite and is associated with serpentine, calcite, dolomite, actinolite, biotite, olivenite, plagioclase, talc, and chromite. It can be found in the USA, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Scotland, Turkey and Russia among others.

c 2001 Mineral Data Publishing

See also Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/clinochlore.pdf

Formula
Mg6Si4O10(OH)8 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Fibrous, Pseudo Hexagonal, Granular 
Cleavage
Perfect, None, None 
Luster
Vitreous - Pearly 
Color
blackish green, bluish green, white, yellowish green, olive green 
Streak
white 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Fracture
Uneven 
Hardness
2-2.5 
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Clinochlore (Chromium) var. Kämmererite from Kop Krom mine, Kop Daglari, Erzurum, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Clinochlore (Chromium) var. Kämmererite
            from Kop Krom mine, Kop Daglari, Erzurum, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Deep magenta, translucent crystals to 4mm.

Deep magenta crystal to 1.4cm.

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Clinochlore from Tilly Foster mine, Putnam Co., New York, United States

Clinochlore
            from Tilly Foster mine, Putnam Co., New York, United States

Phyllosilicate - Monoclinic - Chlorite group member. NOT a mica, but is a Phyllosilicate with a sheet structure and perfect basal cleavage. For more information on Mica minerals and other phyllosilicates please reference our article - Click Here.

According to Wenk & Bulakh of "Minerals - Their Constitution and Origin" Clinochlore occurs as a product of late-stage low temperature alteration of olivines , pyroxenes and hornblendes and are one of the first (Chlorites) to crystalize in slates.  Clinochlore is the Magnesium end member of the Clinochlore-Chamosite series. Chlorite high in iron (a chamosite) will oxidize readily and turn brown. Chlorites high in magnesium (clinochlore) are green hence the name.

This specimen is a large beautiful group of foliated green Clinochlore plates. An awesome specimen from a famous locality.

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