Skip to content
hornblende

File:Apatite-(CaOH)-Hornblende-38354.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ1057300· pop 39· linked from 443 articles

hornblende

Sign in to save

Also known as hornblende amphibole series, hornblende rootname series

Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals. It is not a recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark amphibole. Hornblende minerals are common in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Key facts

Mineral.name
Hornblende
Mineral.category
Silicate mineral
Mineral.image
Apatite-(CaOH)-Hornblende-38354.jpg
Mineral.caption
Hornblende crystal (dark green) about 35 mm long, with apatite (white)
Mineral.IMAsymbol
Hbl
Mineral.color
Black to dark green or brown
Mineral.habit
Hexagonal/granular
Mineral.system
Monoclinic
Mineral.symmetry
C2/m
Mineral.cleavage
Imperfect at 56° and 124°
Mineral.fracture
Uneven
Mineral.mohs
5–6
Mineral.luster
Vitreous to dull
Mineral.pleochroism
Strong
Mineral.streak
Pale gray, gray-white, white, colorless
Mineral.gravity
2.9

via Wikipedia infobox

~4 min read

Encyclopedic overview

6 sections
Contents
  • Physical properties
  • Compositional variances
  • Occurrence
  • Etymology
  • See also
  • References

Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals. It is not a recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark amphibole. Hornblende minerals are common in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

The general formula is {{chem2|(Ca,Na)_{2–3}(Mg,Fe,Al)5(Al,Si)8O22(OH,F)2}}.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “hornblende” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (10)