Mineral 1.0Test your knowledge of specific minerals

M
E
N
U
« Home | Browse Minerals | QuizzesMinerals by letter: All | K | G | O | A | H | T | P | C | Q | N | Z | S | E | W | M | B | F | D | L
Minerals by class: Silicates | Halides | Carbonates | Sulfates | Oxides | Phosphates | Hydroxides | Native elements | Sulfides
Silicate Subclasses: Nesosilicates | Pyroxenes | Amphiboles | Frameworks | Sorosilicates | Cyclosilicates | Phyllosilicates
  

« Back to Silicates

K
Y
A
N
I
T
E

Click for expanded view






(c) Mineral Picture courtesy of www.yuprocks.com
Mineral Picture courtesy of www.yuprocks.com

KyaniteAl2SiO5

Class: Silicate
Subclass: Nesosilicate
Hardness: 5.5 - 7
Density: 3.5 - 3.7
Streak: White
Lustre: Vitreous
Habit: Massive aggregate, with striated faces.
Colours: Bluish white (typical)

  Crystal System: Triclinic
Cleavage: Perfect
Fracture: Uneven
Magnetism: None
Reaction with HCl: Unknown

Identification in hand sample:
Bladed habit, colour, and difference of hardness along and across cleavages

Associations:
Forms in metamorphs, especially in gneisses and schists

Comments:
Kyanite has a hardness of 6-7 across cleavage planes, but only 4-5 along cleavage planes. Colour is typical, yet other colours (gray, white or less commonly light green) do occur.

  

Inaccurate data? Better photos? .