Home > Kalahari Manganese Field – March 18 > MS0906 Tephroite, Caryopilite
Tephroite, Caryopilite - Sold
- Wessels mine
- Kalahari Manganese Field
- Northern Cape Province
- South Africa
- 5.4 by 4.3 by 3.4 cm – Miniature specimen (fits into a 5 cm cube)
Tephroite is a manganese silicate member of the olivine group. The mineral name come from From the Greek for ash-colored (Breithaupt, 1832). Tephroite here forms sparse sharp crystals to 3-4 mm scattered over boxwork caryopilite. Caryopilite is a hydrated manganese silicate named after the Greek words for walnut and felt (Hamberg, 1889), which aptly describes its color and texture in this specimen.