Translucent
Transparent
Granular

Description

Non-opaque iron oxides, hydroxides, and oxyhydroxides including hematite (which may also occur as opaque grains) and limonite (actually a mixture of minerals including goethite). Red to brown; limonite yellower. High relief. May occur as granular aggregates, scales, either translucent or transparent. May be isotropic or show low-order birefringence.

Hematite is red to brown, transparent to opaque. Red-brown in reflected light. Hematite has high birefringence, but may not be observable due to deep color of grains. Some hematite grains may be noncrystalline and thus isotropic. Irregularly shaped flakes and earthy or somewhat fibrous particles. High relief. Hematite occurs as detrital or authigenic/diagenetic grains.

External Resources

Iron (Hydr)oxides, Non-opaque (Hematite/Limonite) on MinDat