Pargasite is a monoclinic mineral and member of the Amphibole group which includes many related minerals. It is named after the Pargas Valley in Finland where it was originally discovered. Pargasite is transparent to translucent and is most commonly found as lime-green or brown in color. With a hardness of 5-6 to it could theoretically be used as a gemstone but because of its perfect cleavage, it is nearly impossible to facet. A soft and patient touch is required and most cutters would rather not deal with it at all. It is closely related to actinolite and only advanced gemological testing will separate the two.
|
| Known Facts |
| Color Key: |
greenish yellow, emerald green, greenish blue, brown |
| Refractive Index: |
1.630 - 1.650 |
| Chemical Composition: |
NaCa2(Mg,Fe++)4Al(Si6Al2)O22(OH) |
| Hardness: |
5 - 6 |
| Density: |
3.12 |
| Crystal Group: |
Monoclinic |
| Ocurrence: |
Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Baffin Island, Canada; Burma, Pargas Valley, Finland; Franklin N.J., Vietnam, Pakistan, Canada, and USA. |
|
Pargasite is considered to be a rare mineral and is found sparingly in deposits occurring in Finland, Vietnam, Pakistan, Burma, USA, Canada, Vietnam, and Tanzania. |
| Illustrations |
|
|
| Knowledge Search/ |
| Enter one or more keywords (i.e madagascar sapphires ). |
|
|
|
|
