Steatite and Anthophyllite Physical Properties

Steatite and Anthophyllite Chemical Formula

While comparing Steatite and Anthophyllite 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 Steatite and Anthophyllite chemical formula.

• Chemical formula of Steatite- Mg 3Si 4O 10(OH) 2Gemdat.org , Management Team (2012)
• Chemical formula of Anthophyllite- (Mg,Fe2+ ) 2(Mg,Fe2+ ) 5Si 8O 22(OH) 2Anthony et al , Handbook of mineralogy (2001)

Steatite and Anthophyllite Specific Gravity

Another important criteria for qualitative analysis of gemstones is Steatite and Anthophyllite Specific gravity. Specific gravity is the relative density of a gemstone compared with respect to density of water. Gemologists use Steatite and Anthophyllite Optical Properties during the identification of gemstone. Specific gravity of Steatite is 2.9-3.5 whereas that of Anthophyllite is 2.9-3.5.