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Clinochlore is a member of the Chlorite group and is one of the better-known members. It most often is an uninteresting matrix for more important minerals, but the rare and beautiful pink to red variety Kammererite is very popular and treasured by collectors. Clinochlore forms a series with the Chamosite within the Chlorite group. Chamosite is the iron rich end member, and Clinochlore is the magnesium-rich end member. Their properties are very similar, and they are difficult to
distinguish from each other, though Clinochlore is softer, lighter, and
usually more transparent than Chamosite. |
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Chemical Formula |
(Mg,Fe2+)5Al2Si3O10(OH)8 |
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Composition |
Basic iron magnesium aluminum silicate. May also contain small amounts of chromium.
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| Variable Formula |
(Mg,Fe2+)5(Al,Cr)2Si3O10(OH)8 |
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Color |
Light to dark green, pink, red, purple, yellow, gray, brown, white, black |
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Streak |
White |
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Hardness |
2 - 2.5 |
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Crystal System |
Monoclinic |
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Crystal Forms
and Aggregates |
Crystals are usually tabular and pseudohexagonal in shape, but
also may be prismatic. Also as thick flakes, micaceous masses
and groupings, and in
foliated, flaky, and scaly forms. May also be massive, radiating, and globular
masses of dense flakes.
Clinoclore may form pseudomorphs and dense coatings of other minerals, assuming the original minerals crystal shape. |
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Transparency |
Transparent to translucent |
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Specific Gravity |
2.55 - 3.0 |
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Luster |
Vitreous to pearly |
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Cleavage |
1,1 |
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Fracture |
Uneven |
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Tenacity |
Thin flakes are flexible but not elastic. |
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Other ID Marks |
May have a slightly greasy feel. |
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In Group |
Silicates; Phyllosilicates; Chlorite Group |
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Striking Features |
Color and lack of elasticity |
| Environment |
Always an alteration mineral. Commonly in metamorphic environments, especially in Serpentine
deposits; also as a secondary mineral in hydrothermal replacement deposits. |
| Rock Type |
Metamorphic |
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Popularity (1-4)
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2 |
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Prevalence (1-3)
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2 |
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Demand (1-3) |
2 |
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- Chromium-rich variety of Clinochlore with a pink to deep crimson-red color. Also spelled Kämmererite or Kaemmererite.
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The pink to purple chromium-rich variety of Kammererite is a rare and popular collectors mineral.
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Noteworthy locations include the Korshunovskoye mine, Zheleznogorsk, Russia; the Fee Glacier in the Saas Valley, Wallis, Switzerland; the Zillertal, Tyrol, Austria; and Val Malenco, Sondrio, Italy.
The most famous locality for Kammererite is the Kop Krom mine, Kop Daglari, Erzurum, Turkey; where it comes in transparent gemmy crystals of deep and beautiful crimson color. Kaemmererite also comes from Turkey at Guleman, Elazig.
In the U.S., the original type locality is Brinton's Quarry, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Other localities are the Old Mine Plaza, Trumbull, Fairfield Co., Connecticut; the New Idria District in the Diablo Range, San Benito Co., California; and the Jeffrey mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada.
Exceptional Clinochlore crystals came from the old Tilly Foster mine, Brewster, Putnam Co., New York, sometimes in strange pseudomorphs after other minerals. Excellent pseudomorphs of Chlorite after Garnet come from Michigamme, Marquette Co., Michigan. A classic Kammererite locality in the U.S. is the Wood's Chrome Mine, Texas, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.
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Muscovite and other micas - Are more elastic then Chlorites.
Talc - Softer (1).
Other Chlorite minerals - Indistinguishable by practical methods.
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Have a question about Clinochlore? Visit our Q&A Community and ask the experts!
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