Biotite and Forsterite Physical Properties
Tenacity
Brittle
Not Available
Solubility
Not Available
Not Available
Durability
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.7-3.3
3.23-3.26
Fracture
Uneven, Even, Yellow, White
Conchoidal, ConchoidalAnthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001), Conchoidal, Brittle
Cleavage
Perfect on the {001}
Perfect on {010} imperfect on {100}
Mohs Hardness
2.5-3.0
6.5-7
Chemical Composition
K(Mg,Fe++)3[AlSi3O10(OH,F)2
Mg 2SiO 4Michael OâDonoghue , Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Biotite and Forsterite Chemical Formula
While comparing Biotite 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 Biotite and Forsterite chemical formula.
- Chemical formula of Biotite- K(Mg,Fe++)3[AlSi3O10(OH,F)2
- Chemical formula of Forsterite- Mg 2SiO 4Michael OâDonoghue , Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Biotite and Forsterite Specific Gravity
Another important criteria for qualitative analysis of gemstones is Biotite and Forsterite Specific gravity. Specific gravity is the relative density of a gemstone compared with respect to density of water. Gemologists use Biotite and Forsterite Optical Properties during the identification of gemstone. Specific gravity of Biotite is 3.23-3.26 whereas that of Forsterite is 3.23-3.26.