{"title":"Clinochlore","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinochlore\u003c\/strong\u003e is the magnesium-rich end member of the \u003cstrong\u003echlorite group\u003c\/strong\u003e, a phyllosilicate closely related to biotite and forming a complete solid-solution series with the iron-rich species \u003cstrong\u003echamosite\u003c\/strong\u003e. Its name, from the Greek for \"inclined\" and \"green,\" refers to both its typical color and the inclined optic axes of its pseudohexagonal, tabular crystals. Ordinary clinochlore forms soft, foliated, mica-like plates ranging from grass-green and olive to yellowish, white, or pink, typically as an alteration product of pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite in metamorphic and hydrothermally altered rocks, commonly intergrown with serpentine, calcite, dolomite, actinolite, talc, and chromite. This makes it one of the most widespread species in metamorphic terranes worldwide, found from the Alps to Australia, and across the United States in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Colorado, Arizona, and Wyoming. While common green clinochlore is an important rock-forming mineral, collectors prize the species chiefly for its exceptional chromium-bearing variety, historically named \u003cstrong\u003ekämmererite\u003c\/strong\u003e, prized for its vivid lavender-to-crimson gemmy crystals. The classic locality for this variety is the \u003cstrong\u003eUral Mountains\u003c\/strong\u003e of Russia, particularly the chromite-bearing serpentinites around the \u003cstrong\u003eWiluy River\u003c\/strong\u003e and deposits such as \u003cstrong\u003eBiserskoye\u003c\/strong\u003e, where sharp pseudo-hexagonal plates form on black chromite matrix. Turkey has more recently become a major source of well-formed, intensely colored kämmererite specimens, often showing striking bicolor zoning between purple chromian clinochlore and green iron-bearing clinochlore in the same crystal, a result of fluctuating chromium content in the hydrothermal fluids. Other notable kämmererite occurrences include California and Pennsylvania in the United States, Norway, and South Africa. A separate massive, gem-grade green-and-black banded variety known as \u003cstrong\u003eseraphinite\u003c\/strong\u003e, prized for its silvery chatoyant sheen, comes from the \u003cstrong\u003eKorshunovskoye\u003c\/strong\u003e skarn deposit near Lake Baikal and Bratsk in Eastern Siberia. Other recognized varietal names within the clinochlore-chamosite series include \u003cstrong\u003epennine\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003esheridanite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eripidolite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eleuchtenbergite\u003c\/strong\u003e, reflecting over two centuries of mineralogical study since Werner's original 1789 description of chlorite. With a hardness of only 2 to 2.5 and perfect basal cleavage, clinochlore specimens demand careful handling, but this same softness produces the pearly luster and easy platy cleavage that make top kämmererite and seraphinite pieces so visually distinctive. For collectors, clinochlore offers remarkable range: from classic Alpine and Ural chlorite-schist plates to the coveted, richly colored kämmererite crystals and ornamental seraphinite slabs that bridge mineral collecting and lapidary art.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/clinochlore.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}