Olivine is a magnesium-iron silicate typically occurring as olive-green grains in basaltic lavas or plutonic peridotites. While common as a rock-forming mineral, gem-quality specimens are known as peridot and are prized for their vibrant, lime-green color. Collectors often seek out large, glassy grains found in volcanic sands or intact crystals from xenoliths.
Is this olivine?
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 olivine with a known reference. Olivine sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Olivine leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Olivine typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: olive green, yellow-green, brownish green, yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: orthorhombic. Typical habit: granular, massive, or short prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Olivine vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside olivine
Minerals reported to co-occur with olivine. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 3.22-4.39 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Granular, Massive, Or Short Prismatic Crystals
- Cleavage
- Poor in Two Directions
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector, Industrial
- Host rock
- Mafic and Ultramafic Igneous Rocks Like Basalt and Peridotite
- Typical price
- $5-20 for standard samples, $50-500+ for gem-quality peridot
Where rockhounds find olivine
8 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Zabargad Island, Egypt
- San Carlos, Arizona, USA
- Kohistan, Pakistan
- Norway
- Hawaii, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks like basalt and peridotite country, the host setting where olivine typically forms. If you start seeing pyroxene, plagioclase, chromite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a granular, massive, or short prismatic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Alabama, California. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify olivine?+
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Find olivine on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
