tephroite

tephroiteTephroite Manganese silicate, Tochigi prefecture Honshu, Japan.

tephroite, olivine mineral found only in iron-manganese ore deposits and skarns and in metamorphosed manganese-rich sediments, such as those of Cornwall, Eng., and Franklin, N.J., in the United States. Tephroite (manganese silicate; Mn2SiO4) forms a solid solution series with the olivine fayalite in which iron completely replaces manganese in the molecular structure. For detailed physical properties, see olivine (table).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.