Petedunnite is a rare zinc-rich pyroxene typically found in the famous ore deposits of Franklin, New Jersey. It is usually identified by its characteristic green color and granular habit within a complex mineral assemblage of zinc ores.
Is this petedunnite?
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 petedunnite with a known reference. Petedunnite sits at Mohs 6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: greenish white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: dark green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: anhedral grains.
Often confused with
Petedunnite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Petedunnite leaves greenish white, Diopside leaves white, gray, gray-green.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Petedunnite leaves greenish white, Hedenbergite leaves white green.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Petedunnite leaves greenish white, Augite leaves gray-green.
Often found alongside petedunnite
Minerals reported to co-occur with petedunnite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- CaZnSi₂O₆
- Mohs hardness
- 6
- Density
- 3.68 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Greenish white
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Anhedral grains
- Cleavage
- {110}
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector
- Host rock
- In a metamorphosed stratiform zinc deposit, apparently formed under relatively high activity of sulfur and oxygen
Where rockhounds find petedunnite
Classic worldwide localities
- Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: In a metamorphosed stratiform zinc deposit, apparently formed under relatively high activity of sulfur and oxygen. If you start seeing calcite, gahnite, willemite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: anhedral grains. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
How do you identify petedunnite?+
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Is petedunnite safe to handle?+
What rocks look like petedunnite?+
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Find petedunnite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
