HORNBLENDE

By: Allysa Joy G. Cacdac

WHAT IS HORNBLENDE?
o a dark brown, black, or green mineral of the
amphibole group, occurring in many igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
o The word hornblende is derived from the
German horn and blenden, to 'deceive' in allusion to its
similarity in appearance to metal-bearing ore
minerals.
o Hornblende is the most abundant mineral in a rock. It is
not recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is
used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark
amphibole
o Amphibole is a group of inosilicate minerals, forming
prism or needlelike crystals, composed of double chain
SiO4. tetrahedra, linked at the vertices and generally
containing ions of iron and/or magnesium in their
structures. Amphiboles can be green, black, colorless,
white, yellow, blue, or brown.
HORNBLENDE AS A ROCK FORMING
MINERAL
o Hornblende is a rock-forming mineral that is an
important constituent in acidic and intermediate igneous
rocks such as granite, diorite, syenite, andesite, and
rhyolite. It is also found in metamorphic rocks such as
gneiss and schist.
o Hornblende is an important constituent in many igneous
rocks. In extrusive rocks, hornblende sometimes
crystallizes below the ground, in the magma, before
eruption. That can produce large phenocrysts
of hornblende in a fine-grained rock.
WHAT ELEMENTS ARE IN
HORNBLENDE?
o Complex basic silicate of sodium, calcium, magnesium,
and aluminum. Some members have potassium,
titanium, and fluoride.
USES OF HORNBLENDE
o Mineral specimen
o Highway construction and as railroad ballast
o Dimension stone
o Hornblende has been used to estimate the depth of
crystallization of plutonic rocks. Those with low
aluminum content are associated with shallow depths of
crystallization, while those with higher aluminum content
are associated with greater depths of crystallization.
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF HORNBLENDE
Chemical Classification Silicate

Color Usually black, dark green, dark brown

Streak White, colorless - (brittle, often leaves cleavage debris

behind instead of a streak)
Luster Vitreous

Cleavage Two directions intersecting at 124 and 56 degrees

Mohs Hardness 5 to 6

Specific Gravity 2.9 to 3.5 (varies depending upon composition)

Diagnostic Properties Cleavage, color, elongate habit

Chemical Composition (Ca,Na)2–3(Mg,Fe,Al)5(Al,Si)8O22(OH,F)2

Crystal System Monoclinic

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