$35Median
3Sold (12 mo)
$35Last sale
Augite specimens for sale
3 for sale · $110–$1,260 USD
16 in the gallery
Augite is a calcium-magnesium-iron pyroxene with a characteristic prismatic habit and a vitreous to resinous luster. It often forms in elongated, blocky crystals within mafic and intermediate igneous rocks, and may display a green to brownish-black color that deepens in larger specimens. In polished slices or thin sections, its cleavage and internal zoning are clues to its composition, and it commonly coexists with feldspar and hornblende in many rock types.
- Formula
- (CaxMgyFez)(Mgy1Fez1)Si2O6
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Silicates; Inosilicates; Pyroxenes (Single-chain)
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- monoclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 5.5–6
- Specific gravity
- 3.2–3.6
- Luster
- vitreous, dull
- Transparency
- translucent, opaque
- Color
- black, brown, green
- Streak
- white, gray
- Cleavage
- good
- Fracture
- uneven, subconchoidal
- Crystal habit
- prismatic, granular, massive
- Classic / historic
Buy Augite specimens
View all 3Where Augite is found
Top localities
- Finland1 specimen
- Franklin Mining District1 specimen
- Hodruša-Hámre mines1 specimen
- Mount Teide1 specimen
- Passaic Pit1 specimen
- Skardu District1 specimen
- Fernando de Noronha archipelago1 specimen
About Augite
Notable specimens come from classic basaltic and gabbroic environments, with important examples reported from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Collectors prize augite crystals for their robustness and contrasting hues when intergrown with other minerals, as well as their role in illustrating solid-solution within the pyroxene group. Carefully collected crystals can reveal zoning and color variation that speak to the rock's cooling history and magmatic evolution.
