Pyroxene
Pyroxene Group
General Formula:
𝐴
𝐷
Si
2
O
6
ADSi
2
O
6
Description:
Pyroxene is a major group of inosilicate (chain silicate) minerals. The group is structurally and chemically classified into two primary subgroups based on crystal system:
Clinopyroxene: Monoclinic system.
Orthopyroxene: Orthorhombic system.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature:
The current standard nomenclature for the pyroxene group was established by Morimoto et al. (1988).
General Formula:
𝐴
𝐷
Si
2
O
6
ADSi
2
O
6
Description:
Pyroxene is a major group of inosilicate (chain silicate) minerals. The group is structurally and chemically classified into two primary subgroups based on crystal system:
Clinopyroxene: Monoclinic system.
Orthopyroxene: Orthorhombic system.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature:
The current standard nomenclature for the pyroxene group was established by Morimoto et al. (1988).
Pyroxene Group
General Formula:
Classification & Description:
The Pyroxene group encompasses a broad range of inosilicate (chain silicate) minerals. Structurally and chemically, the group is divided into two primary subgroups based on symmetry and crystal system:
- Clinopyroxene: Monoclinic subgroup.
- Orthopyroxene: Orthorhombic subgroup.
Etymology & Historical Nomenclature:
- Coining of the Term: Named in 1796 by René-Just Haüy from the Greek roots pyr (, meaning “fire”) and xenos (, meaning “stranger” or “foreign”).
- Historical Context: Haüy applied the name because the mineral occurred as crystals within glassy lava (vitreous volcanic rocks). At the time, it was believed that pyroxene was a pre-existing impurity enclosed within the silicate melt—hence a “stranger to the fire” rather than a product of high-temperature magmatic crystallization.
- Evolution of Usage: The term was originally used to describe specimens that would today be identified specifically as augite. Over time, the name was elevated to designate the entire structurally and chemically analogous mineral group.
Taxonomic Reference:
The formal nomenclature and modern classification framework for the pyroxene group were established by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) subcommittee, led by Morimoto et al. (1988).
