Luster is vitreous. Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent. Crystal Habits include flatten tabular to box shaped crystals, but good crystals are rare. More commonly found as grains in alluvial gravels and as granular pockets in highly magnesium and iron rich volcanic rock. Cleavage is distinct in two directions at 90 degrees.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 6.5 - 7. Streak is white. Associated Minerals are diopside , spinel , plagioclase feldspars , chromite , anorthite , biotite , cristobalite , hornblende , serpentine , obsidian , iron-nickel meteorites and augite . Best Field Indicators are environment of formation, color, crystal habit, hardness and density.