magnesite

Also known as giobertite, carbonate magnesium, magnesium carbonate, magnesium(II) carbonate

Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula (magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts. Magnesite occurs naturally in both cryptocrystalline and crystalline forms depending on the conditions of formation.

Key facts

Mineral.name: Magnesite
Mineral.category: Carbonate mineral
Mineral.image: Magnesite-121892.jpg
Mineral.imagesize: 260px
Mineral.caption: Magnesite crystals from Brazil (11.4 × 9.2 × 3.6 cm)
Mineral.formula: MgCO3
Mineral.IMAsymbol: Mgs
Mineral.strunz: 5.AB.05
Mineral.system: Trigonal
Mineral.class: Hexagonal scalenohedral (m)H-M symbol: ( 2/m)
Mineral.symmetry: Rc
Mineral.color: Colorless, white, pale yellow, pale brown, faintly pink, lilac-rose
Mineral.habit: Usually massive, rarely as rhombohedrons or hexagonal prisms
Mineral.cleavage: [101] perfect
Mineral.fracture: Conchoidal
Mineral.tenacity: Brittle
Mineral.mohs: 3.5–4.5
Mineral.luster: Vitreous

via Wikipedia infobox

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Encyclopedic overview

10 sections

Contents

Occurrence
Formation
Isotopic evidence
Uses
Refractory material
Other uses
Artworks
Occupational safety and health
United States
References

Magnesite is used in the production of magnesium oxide for the refractory lining of kilns and furnaces, as well as artistically in jewelry and sculpture. Since it may be formed by carbonation of magnesium serpentine, there have also been efforts to use magnesite for carbon sequestration.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “magnesite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.