Scientific Name: Idocrase
Group: Silicates – sorosilicates
Chemical composition: Ca10(Mg,Fe)2Al4(Sio4)5(Si2O7)2(OH,F)4
Colors: Green or chartreuse.
Hardness: 6.5
Formation: Tetragonal or monoclinic crystals; Prismatic form
Principal Sources: Mount Vesuvius, Siberia, US
Special Notes: Vesuvianite is found in skarn deposits and limestones that have been subjected to contact metamorphism. It is named after the site at which it was first discovered – within included blocks or adjacent to lavas on Mount Vesuvius, hence its name.