Melanite is a black variety of andradite (Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3), a member of the garnet group of minerals. In melanite part of the iron is replaced by titani

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Melanite is a black variety of andradite (Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3), a member of the garnet group of minerals. In melanite part of the iron is replaced by titanium. It is isometric, with crystal habitat dodecahedral or trapezohedral or a combination, usually in a dark metallic gloss. It occurs in skarns of contact-metamorphosed impure limestones or calcic igneous rocks, also in chlorite schists, serpentinites and alkali igneous rocks. Sample from the Zillerthal, Austria, actual width 100 mm.

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Photo credit: © DIRK WIERSMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: andradite, calcic, chlorite, dodecahedra, garnet, gloss, iron, isometric, limestone, melanite, metallic, mineral, titanium, trapezohedra