ARTINITE, SAN BENITO COUNTY, BENITOITE GEM MT DIABLO, CA, USA (miniature)

ARTINITE is a hydrated basic magnesium carbonate mineral represented by the formula Mg2(CO3)(OH)2·3H2O. This mineral typically forms white, silky monoclinic prismatic crystals, which can appear in radial clusters or as encrustations. With a Mohs hardness of 2.5 and a specific gravity of 2, artinite is relatively soft and lightweight. It is primarily found in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and within serpentinized ultramafic rocks, often occurring alongside minerals such as brucite, hydromagnesite, pyroaurite, chrysotile, aragonite, calcite, dolomite, and magnesite. First identified in 1902 in Lombardy, Italy, it was named in honor of the Italian mineralogist Ettore Artini (1866–1928).