Q. What is olivine sand?

A. Olivine is a magnesium-iron orthosilicate, (Mg,Fe)2SiO4, consisting of a solution of the two minerals forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and fayalite (Fe2SiO4) in approximately equal proportions.

The mineral is the primary constituent of a rock called "dunite", found principally in the states of Washington and North Carolina.

Dunite must be crushed and washed to permit gravity separation of mineral impurities, mainly serpentine and talc. The crushed material, now the consistency of sand, is then dried and screened into different grades of fineness.

As a crushed material, the grains of olivine are angular and somewhat cracked.