RELIEF IN THIN SECTION: Moderately high positive relief.

COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE: Monticellite has the same

structure as olivine with isolated silicon tetra-hedra bonded laterally through octahedral!)' coordinated divalent cations, half of which are Ca2"1". Most monticellite comes close to the ideal composition CaMgSiO4, but complete solid solution to synthetic kirschsteinite (CaFeSiO4) is possible and some monticellite contains up to 20 mole percent Fe substituting for Mg. It is also possible to substitute Mn for Mg, and complete solid solution to glaucochroite (CaMnSiOj) is probable although Mn is generally not found in abundance in monticellite. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: H = S\\ G = 3.05-3.27; colorless to gray in hand sample: white streak; vitreous luster. COLOR: Colorless in thin section and grain mount. FORM: Usually as anhedral, equant grains. Crystals are elongate along c and yield equant to elongate polygonal cross sections with eight or more faces. CLEAVAGE: There is a single poor cleavage on {010} that does nol significantly influence fragment orientation.

TWINNING: Monticellite

may have cyclic twins on {031} which, ifeuhedrul, appear as six-pointed stars in cross section. oi'iu \i. OKIKNTMION: A' = h, Y = c. Z = u. optic plane = (001). Elongate cross sections through euhedral crystals may be either length slow or length fast depending on how they are cut. The trace of cleavage is length slow but the cleavage is usually not visible. INDICES OF REFRACTION AND BIREFRINGENCE: The indices for pure synthetic monticellite are n,, = 1.639, nft = 1.646. and n., = 1.653. The addition of Fe or Mn increases the indices and birefringence in an approximately linear manner. The indices of kirschsteinite are nu = 1.674, ,, = 1.694, n.( -1.735. and 2V\ = 50. The indices of glaucochroite are n(1 = 1.686. = 1.723, y = 1.736. and 2Vx = 60. The birefringence of-most monticellite is in the vicinity of 0.012 to 0,015, so interference colors in thin section range up to first-order red. INTERFERENCE FIGURE: Interference figures are biaxial negative with 2Vx = 69-88. 2Vx for relatively pure monticellite is generally greater than 80" and decreases with increasing Fe or Mn. Optic axis dispersion is r > v. ALTERATION: Monticellite may be altered to serpentine or to other calc-silicates such as tremolite, calcic clinopyroxene, and related minerals. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Monticellite has lower birefringence than olivine. The clinopyroxenes such as augitedisplay cleavage, have smaller 2V, and are usually optically positive. OCCURRENCE: Monticellite is found in contact metamorphosed or metasomatized siliceous dolomitic limestones, most commonly adjacent to granitic intrusions. It may be associated with calcite, dolomite, diopside, tremolite, forsterite, wollastonite, and related calc-silicate minerals. MonticeHite also may be found in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks where it may be found mantling grains or olivine, or less commonly as isolated grains.

IN THIN SECTION: Low to moderately high positive COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE: The structure is

relief. similar 10 olivine and consists of a nearly hexagonal close-packed framework of oxygen, hydroxyl, and fluorine. The Si are in tetrahedral sites and the Mg are in octahedral sites. The distribution of the cations is arranged so that the structure consists of tabular sheets with olivine structure that are parallel to (100). The OH" and F" are located on the front and back surfaces of the sheets, which are bonded to adjacent sheets through octahedrally coordinated Mg2+- In norbergile, the olivine sheets are one silicon tetrahedra thick, and in chondrodite, humite, and ciinohumite, the olivine sheets are two, three, and four tetrahedra thick, respectively. The major substitution is between F~ and (OH)" and substantial amounts of fluorine are always present. There is only limited substitution of Fe or Ti for Mg. Mn, Ca, Ni, and Zn may be present in minor amounts, PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: H = 6-6; G = 3.15-3.35; brown, yellow, orange, or red in hand sample; white streak; vitreous luster. COLOR AND PLEOCHROISM: Colorless, pale yellow, yellow, or orangish yellow in thin section and grain mount. The darker color generally corresponds to higher Fe or Ti content. Colored varieties show weak pleochroism with X > Y = Z: X = pa!e yellow, orangish yellow, or yellow, Y = Z = paler yellow, pale orangish yellow, or colorless. FORM: Usually found as rounded or irregular shaped grains, or anhedral masses. Crystals have diverse habits but are commonly platy paraHel to {100}, {010}, or {001}. CLEAVAGE: Norbergite has no cleavage, humite has fair cleavage on {001}, and ciinohumite and chon-drodite have a poor cleavage on {100}. The cleavage does not tend to control fragment orientation and is not usually evident in thin section. TWINNING: Simple or multiple twins are common in ciinohumite and chondrodite and are sometimes found in humite. OPTICAL ORIENTATION: Norbergite and humite are orthorhombic with X a, Y = c, and Z - b, optic plane - (001). Extinction is parallel to the trace of the cleavage, which is generally not visible, hov. ever. Elongate sections through euhedral cryiUH may be either length fast or length slow. Chondrodite is monoclinic with >Y A r = + 22 to +31, V A a = -3 to -12*-. 2. = b, and the <,,, plane is perpendicular to (010). Maximum extinction angle to the trace of the cleavage is 22 lo 31, but if) cleavage is generally not visible, Elongate section:, may be either length fast or length slow. Clinohumilc is monoclinic with A' A c = +9 u-+ 15, Y *a ~ +2 to -4, Z - b. and the optic plane is perpendicular to (010). Maximum extinction angle to the trace of the cleavage is 9 to 15 but the clc; vage is generally not visible. Elongate sections may be either length fast or length slow. INDICES OF REFRACTION AND BIREFRINGENCE: There IS a general increase in the indices of refraction from norbergile to ciinohumite but the indices overlap and do not provide a reliable means of distinguishing between the members of the group except for nor-bergite, which is quite rare. Indices for each member of the group increase with substitution of Fe2*, Mn24, or Ti-* for Mg2", and (OH)' for F~. INTERFERENCE FIGURE: All four members of the group are biaxial positive. The values of 2V-'. overlap and. with the exception of norbergite, do not provide a reliable means of distinguishing between the members of the group. The optic axis dispersion in all members is weak, r > v. ALTERATION: All members of the group may alter to serpentine or chlorite. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Clear or lightly colored varieties resemble olivine. but most olivine is optically negative and the humite group has lower indices and birefringence. Forsterite. with

which the humite group may be associated, is optically positive but has larger 2V and higher birefringence. Stauro-lite has similar color and pleochroism but has higher indices and lower birefringence and is usually found in mica schists. The different members of the group, with the exception of norbergite. cannot be reliably distinguished based on their optical properties. If the cleavage is visible, the inclined extinction may distinguish ciinohumite and chondrodite from humite and norbergile. OCCURRENCE: The humite group has rather restricted occurrences, h is found in contact metamorphosed

166 [NTRODUCTION TO OPTICAL MINERALOGY or metasomatized limestones and dolomites, usually adjacent to granitic intrusions. It is commonly associated with Ca-Mg silicates such as tremolite, wollastonite, grossular, monticellite, and forsterite as well as calcite, dolomite, and related minerals commonly found in skarns and metamorphosed carbonates. It is not uncommon to find members of the humite group intergrown in a lamellar fashion, or to find lamellar intergrowths with olivine or monticellite. Members of the humite group also are found in ultramafic igneous rocks such as peridotite and kim-berlite, and in carbonatites, serpentinites, and talc schists. Garnet Group X,Y,(Si04)3 Isometric Isotropic RELIEF IN THIN SECTION: High positive relief. COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE: The structure of garnet consists of isolated silicon tetrahedra bonded laterally to octahedrally coordinated trivalent Y cations with divalent X cations in eightfold coordination in the interstices between the tetrahedra and octa-hedra. The common garnets are conventionally placed into two groups. Those with AI3+ as the Y cation are the pyralspite group and include p_yrope, a/mandine and jpessartine. The ugrandite group has Ca2+ as the X cation and includes uvarovite, grossular, and u/idradite. Within the pyralspite i>rot]D can be extensive solid solution between a|| bers, although relatively few natural garnet found with compositions intermediate betwtv n ope and spessarime. I:\tensi\e M>lid solution;, possible between members of the ugnmdite r Compositions intermediate between andradite and members ot the p\ nilspite known but are not common. Hydrogrossular has essentially the same stn as the other garnets except that a Si"1" has replaced byJH"1" with the hydrogens bonded to, of the four oxygens surrounding the vacant tetru ral site, ffibschire [Ca,AM Hj6,),|. in which a the silicon has been replaced by hydrogen, hast synthesized. Most natural hydrogrossular ha composition intermediate between grossular hibschite. Many garnets are compositionally zoned. . _ PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: H = 6-7i; G = see below. color of the pyralspite group in hand samp usually deep wine red or reddish brown but also range from black to orange. d:irk pink, or hro Grossular may range from nearly colorless to gr yellow, pink, or brown. Andradite ranges from low to green, brow^n. or black, and uvarovit usually a rich emerald green. : Hydrogrossular B usually white, gray, pink, pale brown, or pale green, All have a white streak and vitreous luster. \

COLOR:

The color in thin section or grain mount is commonly colorless or a pale version of the hand-sample color. Individual crystals may display coloi variation associated with compositional zonationbu! do not display pleochroism because they are isotro-pic or nearly so.

Name

Composition

nil. (Pure synthetic)

ICA (Normal range)

G (calc.)

Pyrope

Mg,AU(Si04)3

1.714 1.830

1.720-1. 770 3.5S2 1.770-1.S2U 4..1I5

Almandin Fe,AI,(SiO4)3 e

Spessartin MnjAU{SiOj)j I. SIX) e Grossular CajAI-TfSiOj)! 1.734

i.7yo-i.wio

4.147 1- 1.5(M

1.735.770

Andradite Ca,Fe^(SiO4),

1.887

1.850-1.890 3.859 1.838-1.870 3..S50 1.675-1.734 3.1-3.6

Uvarovite Ca.,Cr;(SiO4)., 1.865 Hydrogros Ca.,AI:(Si04),_T sular (OH)4.