Silicates & Quartz
Pyroxene
What it is
Single-chain silicates that form in high-temperature igneous and metamorphic rocks. Pyroxenes are among the first minerals to crystallize from cooling magma. Aegirine, with its distinctive dark green-black color, is the most collectible pyroxene.
How it forms
Crystallizes early from cooling basaltic and alkaline magmas at temperatures above 1000°C. Also forms in high-grade metamorphic rocks under extreme pressure.
XYSi₂O₆ (single-chain inosilicate)
