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Chrome-Omphacite

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PDM1106487

Chrome-Omphacite

Pseudomorph

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Corsica, France
Class: 
Crystals on Matrix
Size Range: 
Small cabinet (7-10 cm)
Size: 
9.8 × 8.8 × 3.3 cm
Weight: 
350.00gr
Description

Good representative specimen of green, chrome-rich omphacite from the island of Corsica. There are numerous outcrops of these rare rocks along the west Alpine range, such as in Corsica (e.g., Orezza Valley), Italy (e.g., Lago Chiaretto) or Switzerland (e.g., Allalin Gletscher). They are metabasalts of metagabbros where the original augite crystals are now replaced by chrome-omphacite. These emerald-green phenoclasts are locally known as "smaragdite", but should not be confused with the actinolite of the smaragdite variety. 

The age of these rocks are around 150-160 Ma (Middle-Late Jurassic), and during the Alpine collision were transported down in the Earth crust up to 100 Km in dept, reaching eclogite facies. Lately they were uplifted to the surface, suffering retrograde metamorphism, forming chrome-omphacite. 

Ex Gustaaf #16.74/11, with his handwritten label. 

Combine specimens to reduce shipping costs!.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Chrome-Omphacite

Variety Of: 

Omphacite

Formula: 
(Ca,Na)(Mg,Al)Si2O6
Strunz: 
9.DA.20
Hardness: 
5.0 - 6.0
Formula: 
(Ca,Na)(Mg,Cr3+,Al)Si2O6
Hardness: 
0.0

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