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This is an EXCELLENT SPECIMEN of ACTINOLITE from a wash near HIGHWAY 2, WRIGHTWOOD, SAN BERNADINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. The actinlite has a RICH DARK GREEN COLOR and appears as SHARP BLADED CRYSTALS. We picked these up out in Tucson from
Actinolite is a relatively common mineral in some metamorphic rocks. It belongs to a series with the minerals tremolite and ferro-actinolite. A series occurs when ions can freely substitute between each other. In this case, when iron is predominant the mineral is ferro-actinolite and when magnesium is predominant the mineral is tremolite. Actinolite is the intermediate member.
A variety of actinolite is composed of microscopically fibrous crystals (asbestos) and is called byssolite. Other minerals also form asbestos such as serpentine and the minerals of the series mentioned above. Serpentine asbestos is more widely used and of a better grade in general. Although asbestos has been shown to cause cancer in humans when inhaled in high enough concentrations, it still has many valuable applications. Asbestos is used for fire retardant materials and brake shoes and pads. Its prior use as insulation has been all but eliminated due to health concerns.
A variety of actinolite, nephrite, is one of the two minerals called jade. The other jade mineral is jadeite. Jade has been used for eons in China and Central America as an ornamental and religious stone of deep significance. The nephrite jade was used mostly in China, although both have been used in both regions. Nephrite is more abundant than jadeite and has few color varieties, ranging only from creamy white to green.
Simple actinolite occasionally forms interesting crystal habits and specimens. Crystals can be similar to hornblende, but are always translucent or even transparent. Typically they are prismatic, flattened and elongated. Crystal specimens of actinolite can make very interesting mineral specimens. |
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