Chemical Formula: CaFeSi2O6
Locality: Nordmark, Sweden.
Name Origin: Named after the Swedish mineralogist, M. A. L. Hedenberg.
Hedenbergite, CaFeSi2O6, is the iron rich end member of the pyroxene group having a monoclinic crystal system. The mineral is extremely rarely found as a pure substance, and usually has to be synthesized in a lab. It was named in 1819 after M.A. Ludwig Hedenberg, who was the first to define hedenbergite as a mineral. Contact metamorphic rocks high in iron are the primary geologic setting for hedenbergite. This mineral is unique because it can be found in chondrites and skarns (calc-silicate metamorphic rocks). Since it is a member of the pyroxene family, there is a great deal of interest in its importance to general geologic processes.
Physical Properties
Color: Brownish green, Gray green, Grayish black, Dark green, Black.
Density: 3.55
Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent to opaque
Fracture: Brittle – Conchoidal – Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Hardness: 5-6 – Between Apatite and Orthoclase
Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Luster: Vitreous – Pearly
Streak: white green
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