Atacamite and Forsterite Physical Properties
Tenacity
Brittle
Not Available
Solubility
Not Available
Not Available
Durability
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3.745-3.776
3.23-3.26
Fracture
Conchoidal, Conchoidal, Brittle
Conchoidal, ConchoidalAnthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001), Conchoidal, Brittle
Cleavage
Perfect on {010}, fair on {101}
Perfect on {010} imperfect on {100}
Mohs Hardness
3-3.5
6.5-7
Chemical Composition
Cu2Cl(OH)3
Mg 2SiO 4Michael OâDonoghue , Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Atacamite and Forsterite Chemical Formula
While comparing Atacamite and Forsterite physical properties, the important data you should know is its chemical composition. Since chemical formula defines the molecular structure of the crystal, most of the physical properties like color, tenacity, solubility are governed by Atacamite and Forsterite chemical formula.
- Chemical formula of Atacamite- Cu2Cl(OH)3
- Chemical formula of Forsterite- Mg 2SiO 4Michael OâDonoghue , Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Atacamite and Forsterite Specific Gravity
Another important criteria for qualitative analysis of gemstones is Atacamite and Forsterite Specific gravity. Specific gravity is the relative density of a gemstone compared with respect to density of water. Gemologists use Atacamite and Forsterite Optical Properties during the identification of gemstone. Specific gravity of Atacamite is 3.23-3.26 whereas that of Forsterite is 3.23-3.26.