Silicates & Quartz
Amphibole
What it is
Double-chain silicates closely related to pyroxenes but with a more complex structure that incorporates water. Nephrite jade is actually a tough, interlocking mass of amphibole fibers.
How it forms
Forms in metamorphic rocks where existing minerals are recrystallized under heat and pressure in the presence of water. The fibrous structure that makes nephrite jade so tough develops during this process.
Double-chain silicate with OH groups
