Fenite

Altered by alkaline magma

Fenite, a metamorphic rock specimen
Metamorphic

Fenite is a metasomatic rock that forms when country rock is chemically altered by hot, alkali-rich fluids emanating from carbonatite or nepheline syenite intrusions. The process, called fenitization, transforms ordinary rock into a sodium- and potassium-enriched assemblage.

Composition

alkali feldspar, aegirine, alkali amphibole, nepheline, calcite

Where Found

Fen Complex (Norway), Alnö (Sweden), Phalaborwa (South Africa), Kaiserstuhl (Germany), Jacupiranga (Brazil)

Mohs Hardness

5-6

Fun Fact

Fenite is named after the Fen Complex in Norway, where the process was first described — it's also the same location that gave 'fenite' and 'fenitization' to geological vocabulary.

Test Your Knowledge

What is fenitization and why does it produce such unusual mineral assemblages?

Want to identify rocks yourself?