Mineralpedia Details for Perovskite

Named for Count Lev Alekseevich Perovskii, a Russian mineralogist who helped contribute to the mining industry of Russia. Perovskite is a widespread mineral with many localities including in Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Greenland, Canada, and the United States. It forms as “an accessory miner in alkaline mafic rocks, as nepheline syenites, kimberlites, carbonatites, [and] commonly deuteric.” It can additionally form in calcium-rich skarn and is a common accessory mineral in calcium and aluminum rich inclusions within carbonaceous chondrite.

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

Formula

CaTiO₃ 

Crystal System

Orthorhombic 

Crystal Habit

Reniform, Pseudo Cubic, Pseudo Hexagonal 

Cleavage

Good, Good, Good 

Luster

Sub Metallic 

Color

black, reddish brown, pale yellow, yellowish orange 

Streak

grayish white 

Class

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal 

Fracture

Conchoidal 

Hardness

5.5 

WebMineral

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Mindat

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Large reddish brown orthorhombic square prisms the largest to 8mm associated with large, black Magnetite crystals to 18mm.