Augite Hardness: Understanding the Mohs Scale and Mineral Properties

Now, let me tell ya ’bout this rock called augite, well, it’s a mineral that’s not too hard, but it’s got some strength to it. Augite, ya see, got itself a Mohs hardness between 5.5 and 6. That means it ain’t the hardest thing out there, but it’s tougher than a lotta things around. You can scratch it with some stuff, but it’s gonna fight back a bit too. If ya ever tried to scratch it with a knife or a coin, you’d be able to leave a mark, but it ain’t gonna just crumble, no sir.

Now, this augite stuff is found in rocks, and these rocks can be a bit heavy. The specific gravity of augite, that’s the weight of it compared to water, it’s about 3.2 to 3.6. That’s higher than a lotta other minerals you might find in the same rocks. When you pick up a piece of augite, it’s got a bit of weight to it, feelin’ heavier than it looks, like one of those rocks you find sittin’ by a stream in the mountains, all dark and tough.

Augite don’t just sit around by itself neither. It’s a part of a bigger group of minerals called pyroxenes, which are common in those rocks that come from volcanoes, like basalt, gabbro, and andesite. So, when you see those kinda rocks, there’s a good chance augite’s in ’em, makin’ ’em strong. You can find it in all sorts of places in the world—up in the mountains, in volcanoes, even in the deep parts of the earth where rocks are formed deep down below.

The crystals of augite, well, they come in all sorts of shapes. Some of ’em are long and prismatic, lookin’ like little sticks, while others might be acicular, almost needle-like. Some are even fibrous, lookin’ like strands of hair or somethin’. If ya ever see one of those crystals, you’d know it’s augite from the way it looks—kinda dark and shiny, and they usually grow together in a neat pattern. They don’t just sit in one place either—they got a special crystal system called monoclinic. Sounds fancy, but it just means the crystals ain’t perfectly square or round; they got a bit of a slant to ’em.

And when it comes to the places where you can find augite, there’s a lotta options. In fact, the stuff’s all over the place. You might find augite in rocks that came from volcanic eruptions or even in old, ancient rocks. The Isle of Ischia, just off Naples, Italy, is one such place where you can find dark gray augite crystals. They’re not small neither—some of ‘em get real big. Ya gotta look close at those rocks, ’cause they’re tucked in with other minerals, but when ya spot one, you’ll know it’s augite for sure.

One thing folks don’t realize ’bout augite is that even though it’s tough, it don’t stay the same forever. Over time, it changes. The minerals in augite can break down and turn into other minerals, a bit like how a tree rots and turns into dirt after a long while. This happens ‘cause augite’s in those volcanic rocks, and when the rocks start to break down, augite gets involved too, changin’ into somethin’ else. But even after all that, augite’s still important. It’s one of the main minerals in the rocks, and it helps make those rocks strong and durable, just like a good old oak tree holdin’ up the ground it stands on.

Now, in the big ol’ world of geology, augite is known for bein’ one of the most common minerals in a group called clinopyroxenes. That’s just a fancy word for minerals that form in that particular way. There’s another kind called orthopyroxenes, but the way you can tell the difference is by lookin’ at how they “shine” or “go dark” when ya look through ‘em under a special microscope. Clinopyroxenes, like augite, got an inclined extinction, which means they go dark at a certain angle when ya look through ‘em. I know that might sound like somethin’ outta a science book, but that’s just how geologists can tell the difference. But don’t worry about that part too much; just know augite’s tough and common, and it’s part of the family of pyroxenes.

So, if you ever come across a rock that’s heavy, dark, and got a bit of sparkle to it, there’s a good chance augite’s in there. It’s not the hardest thing out there, but it’s still a strong player in the world of rocks, and it’s been around for a long time. Ya might not see it much unless you’re diggin’ around in volcanoes or old mountain rocks, but when you do, just remember it’s augite, doin’ its job of makin’ the earth’s crust a bit tougher and stronger.

Tags： [augite hardness, augite, Mohs hardness, pyroxene group, volcanic rocks, mineral identification, specific gravity, crystal habit]