Enstatite

The name ‘Enstatite’ comes from the Greek "Enstates" which means "An Opponent" referring to its refractory nature. First discovered in 1855, various varieties of Enstatite include: gray, green, dark yellow, yellow-brown, greenish-brown, brown and black forms have been found worldwide.

Composed of Magnesium Silicate (MgSiO3), Enstatite ranks 5.5 on the Moh's Scale of Hardness, with a Specific Gravity of approximately 3.2. It’s crystals are translucent to opaque and either vitreous or pearly in luster.

The most famous variety of Enstatite is Chrome-Enstatite, the emerald-green variety which is commonly cut as a gemstone. Its beautiful green color is caused by traces of chromium, hence the varietal name.

Bronzite (also called Ferroan Enstatite) is another variety that can be found on the gemstone market. It occurs in greenish-black to brown. Bronzite often contains inclusions of highly reflective minerals, such as Hematite and Goethite, which give it a beautiful bronze-like effect when polished (hence its name). Some polished specimens also exhibit a cat’s eye effect.

Enstatite occur in association with volcanic rocks and meteorites. Its occurrence has been reported worldwide including: India; Burma; Tanzania; the Tilly Foster Mine in Brewster, New York; Boulder, Colorado; Jackson Co., North Carolina; Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania and the Bare Hills in Maryland, USA.

Enstatite is commonly collected as mineral specimen rather than cut into gemstones. However, its varieties are gaining popularity within the jewelry industry. With a hardness of 5.5 Enstatite is considered a rather soft stone. Thus, it is best to wear in a pendant or earrings rather than as a ring stone.