Images
Formula: (Mg,Fe,Ca)2Si2O6
Inosilicate (chain silicate), clinopyroxene subgroup,
pyroxene group
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.3 to 3.46
Hardness: 6
Streak: Greyish white
Colour: Black, brown, greenish brown
Common impurities: Ti,Al,Mn,Na,K,H2O
Environments:
Igneous environments
Metamorphic environments
Extraterrestrial environments
Pigeonite is a high-temperature mineral, forming mostly above 900°C, and with slow cooling it tends to
invert to a mixture of augite and
orthopyroxene. Thus it is mostly restricted to volcanic and subvolcanic
rocks like basalt and
dolerite (Mindat). Inverted varieties with exsolved
augite are found in layered
mafic intrusives. It also occurs in metamorphosed
iron formations and meteorites. Associated minerals include
augite and olivine
(HOM).
Localities
At the Pigeonite occurrence, Cherry Hill, Lunenburg county, Nova Scotia, Canada, pigeonite occurs in
monzogranite and
monzonite
(Dana).
At Weißelberg, Oberkirchen, St Wendel, Saarland, Germany, pigeonite occurs in
andesite
(Dana).
At Mount Hakone, Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, pigeonite occurs in
andesite
(Dana).
At Mt. Mihara, Oushima Island (Ohshima; Oshima), Izu Archipelago, Tokyo, Japan, pigeonite occurs in
basalt
(Dana).
On the Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK, pigeonite occurs in
andesite
(Dana).
At the type locality, Pigeon Point, Cook county, Minnesota, USA, in pigeonite occurs in
dolerite
(Dana).
At Biwabik, Mesabi Range, St. Louis county, Minnesota, USA, Mn-rich pigeonite occurs as a product of
prograde metamorphism in the iron formation
(Dana).
At Lambertville, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, USA, pigeonite occurs in
dolerite
(Dana).
At Goose Creek, Leesburg, Loudoun county, Virginia, USA, pigeonite occurs in a
dolerite
pegmatite
(Dana).
Back to Minerals