The Density of Olivine

Olivine (green) embedded in quartz.

Olivine minerals, comprising a group of three closely related minerals named for their green color, are found globally in tiny amounts but rarely in larger crystals. One form of olivine is the gemstone known as peridot.

Density

The density of a mineral is its mass per unit volume measured in gm/cc, or grams per cubic centimeter. The density of olivine varies slightly from sample to sample, with a range of 3.27 to 3.37 and with an average density of 3.32.

Bulk Density

Because olivine is often found as tiny grains, its density is also measured as bulk density, a measurement often used with soil samples. Bulk density is also a measure of weight per unit volume The bulk density of olivine is 3.25 gm/cc.

Specific Gravity

The density of minerals is also measured as specific gravity, which is the ratio of the weight of one substance compared with another, usually water. The specific gravity of olivine is 3.2 to 4.2.

References

• Minerals: Olivine
• Dictionary: Density
• Webmineral: Olivine Mineral Data
• IUPUI Department of Earth Sciences: Bulk Density Determination
• Encyclopedia: Specific Gravity

Resources

• Geology: Olivine