|
Name Origin | After Archibald Bruce, an early American mineralogist who first described the species |
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Chemical Formula | Mg(OH)2 |
Color | White, pale green, gray, blueish, brown |
Hardness | 2.5 on Mohs Scale |
Crystal System | Hexagonal; tabular crystals, platy aggregates. Also, foliated, massive, fibrous, scaly. |
Cleavage | Distinct basal cleavage |
Specific Gravity (SG) | 2.39 |
Pleochroism | None; colorless in transmitted light |
Luster | Waxy to vitreous; pearly on cleavages |
Stone sizes |
Brucite is rarely facetable. the major source for cuttable material is Asbestos, Quebec, which has yielded pale blue up to +1 carats |
Luminescence |
None |
Note: Pure brucite is magnesium hydroxide (some specimens contain iron oxide and these are known as ferrobrucite. As brucite does not melt easily, it is used in the linings of furnaces, kilns, and ovens. Brucite is extremely difficult to cut, and only a few faceted stones in the 1/2 - 1 carat size range are known.
Reference: Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones, Joel E. Arem, VNR publications, New York.
Photo Credit: www.shutterstone.com
Photo Credit: www.shutterstone.com