|
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: 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