Tremolite, named after Tremola, a valley in the Alps, where it was discovered, is a white variety of amphibole, or hornblende, occurring in long, bladelike crystals, and coarsely fibrous masses. The fibrous variety has been used for asbestos. The compact variety is called nephrite and is used for ornamental purposes in the orient. It is most often found in impure limestones where the rock has recrystallized during metamorphism. Tremolite has the formulae Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2 and a relative hardness of 6.
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