A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Cordierite |
|---|---|
| Description | Cordierite is a silicate with the chemical formula of Mg2Al4Si5O18. Cordierite is not a well known mineral but its gemstone variaty iolite is popular among gemstone collectors. Its unusual blue-violet color is attractive and is compared to a light blue sapphire with a purplish tint. It is the reason that cordeirite is sometimes called water sapphire. Cordierite is strongly pleochroic which is why it is sometimes referred to by the synonym dichroite a greek word meaning two colored rock. This sample is approximately 6 cm. |
| Photographer | Shannon Heinle. 2001-11-29. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection #3124. |
| Key words | cordierite, iolite, silicate |
| Tech details | 666 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 1863 |
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