Minerals / Magnesite (Citron chrysoprase). Australia.
Magnesite, MgCO3, is a magnesium carbonate. The marketing name of citron chrysoprase is confusing, because chrysoprase is a silica mineral. This variety of magnesite gains its apple green colour from a nickel content, and for that reason is also called nickeloan magnesite. This half nodule has been polished, and the outer skin shows a deeper colour of green. In the Western Australia gold field, which is the origin of this specimen, there are numerous nodules, sometimes as much as a ton in weight. To reiterate, although this variety of magnesite is called "Citron chrysoprase" it has no silica content.
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