Enstatite is a magnesium-rich pyroxene that typically occurs in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks as well as high-grade metamorphic terrains. Collectors should look for its distinctive prismatic crystal habit and cleavage angles that differentiate it from other common pyroxenes like diopside.
Is this enstatite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch enstatite with a known reference. Enstatite sits at Mohs 5-6 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Enstatite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Enstatite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: green, brown, gray, white, yellowish.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, massive, granular, fibrous.
Often confused with
Enstatite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Luster reads vitreous on Enstatite and submetallic on Bronzite.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Enstatite leaves white, Hypersthene leaves greyish-white; luster reads vitreous on Enstatite and submetallic on Hypersthene.
Often found alongside enstatite
Minerals reported to co-occur with enstatite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mg₂Si₂O₆
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Density
- 3.2-3.3 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals, Massive, Granular, Fibrous
- Cleavage
- Good in Two Directions At 90 Degrees
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Gemstone, Ornamental
- Host rock
- Ultramafic Igneous Rocks and Metamorphic Rocks
- Typical price
- $10-50 per carat for gem quality, $5-30 for specimens
Where rockhounds find enstatite
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Tanzania
- Sri Lanka
- India
- USA
- Myanmar
Field-hunting tip
Look in ultramafic igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks country — that is the host setting where enstatite typically forms. If you start seeing olivine, diopside, phlogopite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals, massive, granular, fibrous habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Kentucky, North Carolina — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find enstatite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
