Class: Carbonates (Nitrates)
Group: Dolomite
Original description: ‘dolomie’ Saussure, H. B., 1792. Analyse de la dolomie — Observations sur la Physique, sur l’Histoire Naturelle et sur les Arts 40: 161—173 [
view in ‘Library’].
Type locality: Italy.
Type material: unknown.
Etymology: named in honour of the French geologist and naturalist Déodat de Dolomieu.
Distribution: a major rock-forming mineral, abundant worldwide; some localities for fine examples include: Brazil: Bahia, Brumado; Germany: Saxony, Freiberg; Kosovo: Kosovska Mitrovica, Trepča; Mexico: Chihuahua, Naica; Switzerland: Binntal, Lengenbach (
Anthony et al., 2001—2005).
Chemistry
CaMg(CO3)2
Essential elements: carbon (C), oxygen (O), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca).
Crystal data
Crystallography: trigonal — rhombohedral.
Crystal habit: crystals typically combinations of {1011} and {1120}, tabular on {0001}, many minor forms, may exhibit curved faces, to 20 cm; saddle-shaped aggregates, columnar, granular, massive.
Twinning: with {0001}, {1010}, or {1120} as twin plane, common as simple contact twins and in combinations; lamellar on {0221} (
Anthony et al., 2001—2005).
Material from ‘Repository’