Fowlerite

Where it forms, where it's found

Type locality: Franklin Mine
Franklin
Sussex County
New Jersey
USA
41.1158°, -74.5875°

5recorded occurrences

Source · OpenStreetMap

Physical

Lustre: Vitreous
Colour: Dark pink · red · red-brown · dark brown · brown-black
Cleavage: None

Optical

Luminescence: None

Chemical composition

Constituent elements: Mass composition breakdown
Element Atoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/mol Mass share
30ZnZinc Zinc 1 65.380 65.380
27.65%
25MnManganese Manganese 1 54.938 54.938
23.23%
8OOxygen Oxygen 3 15.999 47.997
20.30%
20CaCalcium Calcium 1 40.078 40.078
16.95%
14SiSilicon Silicon 1 28.085 28.085
11.87%
Total 236.478 100.00%
Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100
From Mindat formula

Mass composition breakdown
Element	Atoms	At. mass g/mol	Mass g/mol	Mass share
30ZnZinc	Zinc	1	65.380	65.380	27.65%
25MnManganese	Manganese	1	54.938	54.938	23.23%
8OOxygen	Oxygen	3	15.999	47.997	20.30%
20CaCalcium	Calcium	1	40.078	40.078	16.95%
14SiSilicon	Silicon	1	28.085	28.085	11.87%
	Total	236.478	100.00%

Synonyms

Kaetingit
Kaetingita

In other languages

French: fowlérite
German: Fowlerit
Spanish: Fowlerita

Classification

Strunz

10th ed.

9.DK.05

9SilicatesClass
9.DInosilicatesDivision
9.DKInosilicates with 5-periodic single chainsGroup
9.DK.05FowleriteSpecies

Group, growth & confusion

3 members

Literature, links & citation

Citations

1959Liebau, F., Hilmer, W., Lindemann, G. (1959) Über die Kristallstruktur des Rhodonits (Mn,Ca)SiO₃. Acta Crystallographica, 12 (3) 182-187 doi:10.1107/s0365110x59000548DOI: 10.1107/s0365110x59000548
1963Peacor, Donald R.; Niizeki, Nobukazu (1963) The redetermination and refinement of the crystal structure of rhodonite, (Mn,Ca)SiO₃. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 119 (1-2). 98-116 doi:10.1524/zkri.1963.119.1-2.98 DOI: 10.1524/zkri.1963.119.1-2.98
1964Momoi, H. (1964) Mineralogical study of rhodonites in Japan, with special reference to contact metamorphism. Memoirs of the Faculty of Science, Kyushu University: 15: 39-63.
1972Ito, Jun (1972) Rhodonite-pyroxmangite peritectic along the join MnSiO3-MgSiO3 in air. American Mineralogist, 57 (5-6) 865-876
1975Ohashi, Y. and Finger, L.W. (1975) Pyroxenoids. A comparison of refined structures of rhodonite and pyroxmangite. Carnegie Institution Washington Year Book: 74: 564-569.

Cite this entry

@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Fowlerite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/fowlerite-11200},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}