Rocksday

Skarn

Colorful rock formed where hot fluids from magma react with limestone, often rich in ores.

Skarn specimen
Photo: Dexter Perkins, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify skarn

  • Mix of garnet, green pyroxene and calcite.
  • Heavy, coarse and colorful.
  • Found at granite–limestone contacts.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Sweden
  • Hunan, China
  • Peru
  • Mexico

Uses

Ore of copper, tungsten, iron and zinc.

Rock tumbling

Can be tumbled with care.

Did you know?

'Skarn' is an old Swedish miners' word for worthless rock.

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