Sillimanite — Sillimanite
Sillimanite Wikimedia Commons contributor, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (US)

Mineral · Al2SiO5 polymorphs

Sillimanite

Al2(SiO4)O

Sillimanite is the high-temperature Al2SiO5 polymorph, usually fibrous (fibrolite) in gneiss and schist, with rare gem crystals from Sri Lanka and Myanmar and cat's-eye material from India. It is Delaware's state mineral. Collectors hold it mainly to complete the kyanite–andalusite–sillimanite trio.

FormulaAl2(SiO4)O
IMA statusgrandfathered
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Mohs hardness6.5–7.5
GroupAl2SiO5 polymorphs
Type localityChester, Connecticut, USA
StreakWhite
Specific gravity3.24
Reference listIMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list

Elsewhere

Cite this article

Stratum Study. "Sillimanite" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/sillimanite. Accessed 2026-09-20.

@misc{stratum-sillimanite,
  title        = {Sillimanite},
  author       = {{Stratum Study}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/sillimanite}},
  year         = {2026},
  note         = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
}

Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.

Sources for this article: Stratum editorial (Stratum editorial);Wikidata (CC0);Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-4.0). As of 2026-09-19; Study pack 2026.09. Data reproduced under the licences shown; text in Stratum's own words unless a section names its source.

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