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Magnesite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More
菱鎂石:屬性、含義、價值等
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magnesite gemstoneMagnesite is a soft mineral best known for being dyed to imitate other gemstones. Natural magnesite stones are usually white with a dark web-like pattern.

Is magnesite rare or common? As a mineral, magnesite is pretty common, but gem-quality crystals are scarce, making faceted magnesite gemstones quite rare.

However, the stone has a long history of being carved into beautiful sculptures and jewelry.

Come along as we explore magnesite’s properties, meaning, prices, and benefits!

magnesite gemstone

What Is A Magnesite Gemstone?

Magnesite is a semi-precious gemstone with a few monikers:

  • Baldissérite / Bandisserite / Baudisserite

  • Carbonate of Magnesia

  • Giobertite

  • Magnesianite

  • Roubschite

  • Bitter Spar

  • Rhombohedral Carbonate

This mineral is porous, so it’s easy to dye. It’s often dyed blue to imitate turquoise, sometimes called “magnesite turquoise,” making magnesite an alternative December birthstone. Magnesite can also be dyed to imitate seraphinite, coral, lapis lazuli, and sugilite.

Howlite shares a resemblance to magnesite and is similarly dyed to imitate turquoise or seraphinite. The primary difference between magnesite vs howlite is that howlite has a different composition (Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5), lower density, and lower Mohs hardness.

Another potential confusion is magnesite vs magnetite. Magnetite is much darker with a metallic luster. Both are valuable industrially, though.

What is magnesite used for?

Magnesite Uses

Magnesite’s industrial value comes from the abundance of magnesium in its composition. Heating the stone can produce magnesium oxide, which is behind some of its uses below:

  • Magnesium metal

  • Epsom salts

  • White firework colors

  • Refractory (heat-resistant) bricks & cements

  • Flooring binder (“magnesite screed”)

  • Filler & catalyst for synthetic rubber

  • Fertilizer

Magnesite Specifications & Characteristics

As a magnesium carbonate mineral, magnesite’s formula is MgCO3. Common impurities are iron, calcium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel. These impurities often make magnesite milky-looking.

The stone’s strong birefringence and birefringence “blink” across the 1.509 to 1.700 range is also notable, as it can create facet-doubling and a fuzzy look on faceted gems.

Magnesite belongs to the calcite mineral group alongside minerals like siderite, rhodochrosite, gaspeite, smithsonite, and of course, calcite.

In fact, magnesite is almost identical to calcite, just with magnesium instead of calcium. Mangesite forms a series with siderite, gaspeite, and smithsonite.

This stone usually occurs in massive form, often with a cryptocrystalline structure like chalcedony. Crystals form as rhombohedrons of hexagonal prisms, but magnesite crystals are very rare.

Here are magnesite’s properties listed:

  • Mohs hardness: 3.5-4.5

  • Color: White, colorless, gray, yellow, brown, light pink, or lilac-rose

  • Crystal structure: Hexagonal (trigonal)

  • Luster: Earthy, chalky, dull, or vitreous (glassy)

  • Transparency: Transparent to opaque

  • Refractive index: 1.509-1.717

  • Density: 3.0-3.2

  • Cleavage: Perfect 3-direction (rhombohedral)

  • Fracture: Conchoidal, granular, or uneven

  • Streak: White

  • Luminescence: Fluorescence sometimes present - blue, green, or white in SW-UV & bluish-white or yellowish-white in LW-UV; Phosphorescent sometimes present - green

  • Pleochroism: Present in cobalt-bearing material - violet-red to flesh-red

  • Birefringence: 0.191-0.202

  • Dispersion: Strong

VerdAntique.jpgPictured above: Detail of a verd antique column in the Church of SS Sergius and Bacchus ("Little Hagia Sophia"), Istanbul, Turkey | Image credit: Valerius Tygart, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Types of Magnesite

There are some types of magnesite you should know:

  • Lemon Chrysoprase: Name for yellow-green, nickel-rich magnesite resembling chrysoprase

  • Verd Antique: Green gem rock marbled with magnesite, serpentine, calcite, and dolomite

  • Prystine / Prystyne: Pure-white magnesite that’s fine-grained and dense, found at Utah-Nevada border

  • White Buffalo Stone: Mixture of magnesite and alunite mined in Nevada; Also called “wild horse magnesite” or “crazy horse magnesite”

The name “white buffalo stone” is also used for howlite.

Statue_of_King_Idrimi-IMG_4553-black.jpgPictured above: Statue of Idrimi | Image credit: Rama, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France license

Magnesite Stone Meaning & History

Magnesite can symbolize emotional wellness, imagination, and freedom. Its common white coloring with black veining represents balance, hope, and grounding.

The name “magnesite” likely refers to the high magnesium content.

However, some sources trace it to the Greek magnesia lithos, meaning “magnesian stone” from Magnesia, Greece. Magnesium, discovered in 1755, derives its name from Magnesia.

French mineralogist Jean-Claude Delamétherie first coined the name “magnesite” in 1785. The name applied to many magnesium-rich stones until German mineralogist Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten defined “magnesite” as a distinct mineral in 1808.

As an artistic medium, magnesite goes back thousands of years.

Some examples of ancient magnesite sculptures include:

  • Figure of Lioness found near Baghdad (3000-2800 BC)

  • Limestone “Seated Scribe” statue with magnesite-inlay on eyes from Saqqara (2325-2620 BC)

  • Statue of Idrimi, King of Alalakh (1400-1500 BC)

  • Statue of King Ashurnasirpal II from Temple of Ishtar at Nimrud (883-859 BC)

Native Americans have used carved white magnesite beads for jewelry and as currency.

Dying magnesite to imitate turquoise has been practiced for around a century.

Since 1998, scientists have discovered magnesite in meteorites and on Mars.

Now, what are magnesite stones good for spiritually?

clear magnesite healing crystalImage credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Magnesite Healing Properties

You can use magnesite as a healing stone for many maladies. Like other white gemstones, white magnesite offers mental clarity and spiritual ascension. Blue magnesite stones join other blue gems in offering serenity, while green magnesite stones encourage personal growth.

As a chakra stone, magnesite opens the crown chakra to bring you to your highest spiritual self.

Physical Healing

The purported physical magnesite stone benefits include treating or helping with:

  • Bone and teeth strength

  • Magnesium deficiency

  • Muscle tension, cramps, and spasms

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, magnesite can be incredibly calming, especially during meditation. Crystal healers recommend it for boosting creativity, visualization, and self-love.

Magnesite Gemstone Properties

The value of magnesite gemstones depends on their color, cut, clarity, transparency, carat weight, and treatments.

Color

Magnesite is allochromatic, meaning any colors outside of white are due to impurities. Beside white or colorless, natural magnesite colors include yellow, brown, gray, and pinkish hues.

Translucent to opaque magnesite stones are often found with darker veining.

Dyed magnesite can be virtually any color.

Cut

Magnesite’s softness and perfect cleavage in three directions makes faceting incredibly tricky, so faceted magnesites are rare. You’ll usually only see them in specialized locations like museums or private collections.

Most often, massive magnesite rough is cut into cabochons, beads, or carvings.

Clarity & Transparency

Magnesite’s clarity (the amount of visible inclusions) is only important for translucent to transparent gemstones. Since transparent magnesite crystals are quite rare, they’re also quite valuable. Visible inclusions can lower the value.

Potential inclusions in magnesite include fluorite, sphalerite, quartz, and fluid inclusions.

The mineral itself is often found as an inclusion in other gems, such as:

Impurities and inclusions often give magnesite a milky appearance.

Carat Weight & Size

Most gem-quality magnesite rough is around 10-15 carats. The largest faceted magnesite is a 390-carat gem from Brazil that’s currently held by the Smithsonian.

Treatments

By now, you know that magnesite is often dyed. It’s also commonly stabilized to make it more durable for jewelry use.

You can sometimes identify a dyed magnesite by rubbing it with a Q-tip dipped in acetone, which will remove the dyed layer. However, this is a destructive test.

Any treatments should be disclosed by the seller.

white magnesite gemstone rough specimen

Magnesite Formation & Sources

Magnesite forms in a few different ways. There are four common processes:

  1. Talc carbonate metasomatism of magnesium-rich rocks like peridotite or serpentinite (often results in cryptocrystalline magnesite)

  2. Metamorphic alteration of carbonate-rich rocks like marble or limestone via magnesium-rich solutions (often results in high-purity magnesite)

  3. Carbonic acid in groundwater weathering ultramafic or high-magnesium rocks like dolomite (often results in nodular magnesite)

  4. Secondary mineral precipitation in ultramafic or carbonate rocks

The mineral can also form when water, carbon dioxide, high pressure, and high temperatures carbonate olivine.

The strong fluorescent glow under shortwave-UV lights can help miners find magnesite in deep caves.

Mining Locations

Where is magnesite found? Currently, China is the top producer of industrial magnesite. Facetable magnesite crystals are only known from Brazil.

Other gem-quality magnesite sources include:

  • Algeria

  • Austria

  • Italy

  • India

  • Korea

  • Nevada, USA

  • Norway

  • Poland

  • South Korea

  • Zaire

So, what is magnesite worth?

magnesite gemstone earrings

Magnesite Stone Price & Value

Magnesite is quite affordable because it’s soft enough to cut easily and quickly, and the rough is easy to acquire.

Industrially, the current magnesite price per ton in America is $1,600 per ton.

White magnesite rough is available for under $1 per carat.

You can find magnesite earrings for around $10-$15. Beaded magnesite strands are available for under $10. Magnesite cabochons are usually under $10 as well.

Magnesite Care and Maintenance

Before we discuss gemstone care, you might wonder: is magnesite toxic? Not exactly, but there are some risks to know. As a powder, magnesite can irritate your respiratory system, skin, and eyes. It’s important to use property safety gear when cutting magnesite, but wearing it as jewelry doesn’t pose any risks.

Stabilized magnesite can be worn in jewelry, though we still recommend getting protective settings and only wearing it in earrings or necklaces. Magnesite will dissolve in acids, so keep those away.

To clean magnesite, simply wipe it with a dry or damp lint-free cloth. Store it in a fabric pouch separately from other stones to avoid scratches.

Explore the Colorful Potential of Magnesite!

At first glance, magnesite may just be an ordinary white gem, but its porous nature and abundance mean you can dye it to any color. If you’re ready to start experimenting with magnesite jewelry, there’s no better time!

Buy magnesite gemstones today!

菱鎂寶石菱鎂礦是一種柔軟的礦物,以染色模仿其他寶石而聞名。天然菱鎂石通常為白色,帶有深色網狀圖案。

菱鎂礦是稀有還是常見?作為一種礦物,菱鎂礦非常常見,但寶石級晶體卻很少見,這使得刻面菱鎂石寶石非常罕見。

然而,石頭在被雕刻成美麗的雕塑和珠寶方面有著悠久的歷史。

一起來探索菱鎂礦的特性、含義、價格和優勢吧!

菱鎂寶石

什麼是菱鎂寶石?

菱鎂石是一種半寶石,有幾個綽號:

  • Baldissérite / Bandisserite / Baudisserite

  • 氧化鎂碳酸鹽

  • 鈣橄欖石

  • 鎂砂

  • 魯布石

  • 苦晶石

  • 菱形碳酸鹽

這種礦物是多孔的,因此很容易染色。它通常被染成藍色以模仿綠松石,有時稱為“菱鎂綠松石”,使菱鎂石成為十二月生日石的替代品。菱鎂石也可以染色以模仿六菱鎂石珊瑚青金石蘇紀石

Howlite與菱鎂礦有相似之處,並且被類似地染色以模仿綠松石或六菱鎂礦。菱鎂礦與榴石之間的主要區別在於榴石具有不同的成分 (Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5)、較低的密度和較低的莫氏硬度

另一個潛在的混淆是菱鎂礦與磁鐵礦。磁鐵礦顏色更深,具有金屬光澤。不過,兩者在工業上都很有價值。

菱鎂礦是做什麼用的?

菱鎂礦用途

菱鎂礦的工業價值來自其成分中豐富的鎂。加熱石頭會產生氧化鎂,其部分用途如下:

  • 金屬鎂

  • 瀉鹽

  • 白色煙花色

  • 耐火(耐熱)磚和水泥

  • 地板粘合劑(“菱鎂砂漿”)

  • 合成橡膠用填料和催化劑

  • 肥料

菱鎂礦規格和特性

作為一種碳酸鎂礦物,菱鎂礦的分子式為MgCO3。常見的雜質有鐵、鈣、錳、鈷和鎳。這些雜質通常會使菱鎂礦看起來呈乳白色。

寶石在 1.509 到 1.700 範圍內的強雙折射和雙折射“閃爍”也很引人注目,因為它可以在刻面寶石上產生刻面加倍和模糊外觀。

菱鎂石與菱鐵礦菱錳礦方解石菱鋅礦等礦物一起屬於方解石礦物組,當然還有方解石

事實上,菱鎂石幾乎與方解石相同,只是用鎂代替了鈣。 Mangesite 與菱鐵礦、矽錳礦和菱錳礦形成一個系列。

這種石頭通常呈塊狀,通常具有像玉髓一樣的隱晶質結構。晶體形成六角棱柱的菱面體,但菱鎂礦晶體非常罕見。

以下列出了菱鎂礦的特性:

  • 莫氏硬度:3.5-4.5

  • 顏色:白色、無色、灰色、黃色、棕色、淺粉色或淡紫色玫瑰色

  • 晶體結構:六方晶系(三角晶系)

  • 光澤:土狀、白堊狀、暗淡或玻璃狀(玻璃狀)

  • 透明度: 透明到不透明

  • 折射率:1.509-1.717

  • 密度:3.0-3.2

  • 解理:完美的 3 向(菱形)

  • 斷口:貝殼狀、粒狀或不均勻

  • 條紋:白色

  • 發光:有時會出現熒光 - 在 SW-UV 中為藍色、綠色或白色,在 LW-UV 中為藍白色或黃白色;有時會出現磷光 - 綠色

  • 多色性:存在於含鈷材料中 - 紫紅色至肉紅色

  • 雙折射:0.191-0.202

  • 色散:強

VerdAntique.jpg上圖:土耳其伊斯坦布爾 SS Sergius 和 Bacchus 教堂(“小聖索非亞大教堂”)的綠色古董柱細節 |圖片來源:Valerius Tygart, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

菱鎂礦的種類

您應該了解一些類型的菱鎂礦:

  • 檸檬綠玉髓:類似於綠玉髓的黃綠色、富鎳菱鎂礦的名稱

  • Verd Antique : 綠色寶石岩石,鑲有菱鎂礦、 蛇紋石、方解石和白雲石

  • Prystine / Prystyne :純白色菱鎂礦,顆粒細密,產於猶他州和內華達州的邊界

  • 白水牛石:內華達州開采的菱鎂礦和明礬石的混合物;又稱“野馬菱鎂礦”或“瘋馬菱鎂礦”

“白水牛石”這個名稱也用於 howlite。

Statue_of_King_Idrimi-IMG_4553-black.jpg上圖:Idrimi 雕像 |圖片來源:Rama, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France license

菱鎂石的意義和歷史

菱鎂石可以像徵情緒健康、想像力和自由。它常見的白色和黑色紋理代表著平衡、希望和腳踏實地。

“菱鎂礦”這個名稱可能指的是高鎂含量。

然而,一些消息來源將其追溯到希臘語 magnesia lithos,意思是來自希臘 Magnesia 的“鎂石”。鎂,於 1755 年被發現,得名於 Magnesia。

法國礦物學家 Jean-Claude Delamétherie 於 1785 年首次創造了“菱鎂石”這個名稱。這個名稱適用於許多富含鎂的寶石,直到德國礦物學家 Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten 於 1808 年將“菱鎂石”定義為一種獨特的礦物。

作為一種藝術媒介,菱鎂石可以追溯到幾千年前。

古代菱鎂石雕塑的一些例子包括:

  • 在巴格達附近發現的母獅像(公元前 3000-2800 年)

  • Saqqara(公元前 2325-2620 年)眼睛上鑲嵌菱鎂石的石灰石“坐著的抄寫員”雕像

  • 阿拉拉赫國王伊德里米雕像(公元前 1400-1500 年)

  • 來自尼姆魯德伊什塔神廟的亞述納西爾帕二世國王雕像(公元前 883-859 年)

美洲原住民使用雕刻的白色菱鎂礦珠製作珠寶和貨幣。

染色菱鎂礦仿製綠松石的做法已有大約一個世紀的歷史。

自 1998 年以來,科學家們在隕石和火星上發現了菱鎂礦。

現在,菱鎂石在精神上有什麼好處?

透明菱鎂礦療愈水晶圖片來源:Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

菱鎂礦治療特性

您可以將菱鎂石用作許多疾病的治療石。與其他白色寶石一樣,白色菱鎂石可提供頭腦清晰和精神提升。藍色菱鎂石與其他藍色寶石一起提供寧靜,而綠色菱鎂石則促進個人成長。

作為脈輪石,菱鎂石打開頂輪,帶您進入最高的精神自我。

身體治療

據稱物理菱鎂石的好處包括治療或幫助:

  • 骨骼和牙齒強度

  • 缺鎂

  • 肌肉緊張、痙攣和痙攣

情緒療愈

在情緒上,菱鎂礦可以令人難以置信地平靜,尤其是在冥想期間。水晶治療師推薦使用它來提高創造力、想像和自愛。

菱鎂寶石特性

菱鎂礦寶石的價值取決於它們的顏色、切工、淨度、透明度、克拉重量和處理方式。

顏色

菱鎂礦是異色的,這意味著白色以外的任何顏色都是由雜質引起的。除了白色或無色之外,天然菱鎂礦的顏色還包括黃色、棕色、灰色和粉紅色調。

半透明到不透明的菱鎂礦石通常帶有較深的脈紋。

染色菱鎂石幾乎可以是任何顏色。

菱鎂石的柔軟性和在三個方向上的完美解理使得刻面非常棘手,因此刻面菱鎂石很少見。您通常只會在博物館或私人收藏等特定地點看到它們。

大多數情況下,塊狀菱鎂礦原石被切割成凸圓形、珠子或雕刻品。

清晰透明

菱鎂石的淨度(可見內含物的數量)僅對半透明至透明寶石很重要。由於透明菱鎂礦晶體非常稀有,因此也非常有價值。可見的內含物會降低價值。

菱鎂礦中的潛在內含物包括螢石閃鋅礦石英和流體內含物。

礦物本身通常作為其他寶石的內含物被發現,例如:

雜質和夾雜物通常使菱鎂礦呈現乳白色。

克拉重量和尺寸

大多數寶石級菱鎂礦原石重約 10-15 克拉。最大的刻面菱鎂礦是一顆產自巴西的 390 克拉寶石,目前由史密森尼博物館收藏。

療程

到目前為止,您知道菱鎂礦經常被染色。它通常也經過穩定處理,使其更適合珠寶使用。

有時,您可以通過用蘸有丙酮的棉籤擦拭染色菱鎂石來識別染色菱鎂石,這樣可以去除染色層。然而,這是一個破壞性的測試。

賣方應披露任何處理方法。

白色菱鎂礦原石標本

菱鎂礦的形成和來源

菱鎂礦以幾種不同的方式形成。常見的流程有四種:

  1. 岩石如橄欖岩或蛇紋岩的滑石碳酸鹽交代作用(通常產生隱晶質菱鎂礦)

  2. 通過富鎂溶液對富含碳酸鹽的岩石(如大理石或石灰石)進行變質改造(通常會產生高純度菱鎂礦)

  3. 地下水中的碳酸風化超基性或高鎂岩石如白雲石(通常產生球狀菱鎂礦)

  4. 超基性岩或碳酸鹽岩中的次生礦物沉澱

該礦物還可以在水、二氧化碳、高壓和高溫下形成碳酸鹽橄欖石

短波紫外線下的強烈熒光可以幫助礦工在深洞中找到菱鎂礦。

採礦地點

哪裡可以找到菱鎂礦?目前,中國是工業菱鎂礦的最大生產國。刻面菱鎂礦晶體僅產自巴西。

其他寶石級菱鎂礦資源包括:

  • 阿爾及利亞

  • 奧地利

  • 意大利

  • 印度

  • 韓國

  • 美國內華達州

  • 挪威

  • 波蘭

  • 韓國

  • 扎伊爾

那麼,菱鎂礦值多少錢?

菱鎂寶石耳環

菱鎂石的價格和價值

菱鎂礦價格實惠,因為它足夠柔軟,可以輕鬆快速地切割,而且原石很容易獲得。

在工業上,目前美國每噸菱鎂礦價格為每噸 1,600 美元。

白色菱鎂礦原石的價格低於每克拉 1 美元。

您可以以 10 至 15 美元左右的價格買到菱鎂礦耳環。串珠菱鎂礦線的價格不到 10 美元。菱鎂礦凸圓面通常也低於 10 美元。

菱鎂礦保養和維護

在我們討論寶石護理之前,您可能想知道:菱鎂石有毒嗎?不完全是,但有一些風險需要知道。作為粉末,菱鎂石會刺激您的呼吸系統、皮膚和眼睛。切割菱鎂礦時使用財產安全裝備很重要,但將其作為珠寶佩戴不會造成任何風險。

穩定的菱鎂礦可以佩戴在首飾中,但我們仍然建議進行保護設置並且只將其佩戴在耳環或項鍊中。菱鎂礦會溶解在酸中,因此請將其遠離。

要清潔菱鎂礦,只需用乾或濕的無絨布擦拭即可。將其與其他寶石分開存放在布袋中,以避免刮擦。

探索菱鎂礦的多彩潛力!

乍一看,菱鎂石可能只是普通的白色寶石,但其多孔性和豐富性意味著您可以將其染成任何顏色。如果您準備好開始嘗試菱鎂礦首飾,現在是最佳時機!

立即購買菱鎂礦!

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