Chlorite

Chlorite is a green to blackish green mineral that gives its color to many lightly metamorphosed rocks. Although chlorite forms sheets just like muscovite and biotite, most commonly the individual grains are too small to easily see the sheet structure. In many greenish rocks, the chlorite grains are too small to see.

Here are several chlorite samples showing its typical green to blackish green color. The sample on the upper right is reflecting back a lot of light; it would otherwise also look deep green.

Each sample consists of many small grains of chlorite that here form a rock called chlorite schist.

This sample is made of a vast number of very tiny grains of sheet-like chlorite all oriented to create an undulating shiny surface.
If you zoom in on this one you can get an idea that chlorite grains indeed have a sheet structure like muscovite and biotite.

If you ever find grains large enough to bend, chlorite flakes bend but do not snap back. Biotite and muscovite grains are elastic: they snap back!

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