BIXBYITE (EUHEDRAL ISOMETRIC)

Bixbyite is a manganese iron oxide mineral represented by the chemical formula (Mn,Fe)2O3. The ratio of iron to manganese can vary significantly, with many samples containing little to no iron. This mineral appears as a metallic dark black and has a Mohs hardness ranging from 6.0 to 6.5. Bixbyite is relatively rare and is prized by collectors for its tendency to form euhedral isometric crystals, which can take the shape of cubes, octahedra, and dodecahedra.

It is typically found in association with minerals such as beryl, quartz, spessartine, hematite, pseudobrookite, hausmannite, braunite, and topaz within pneumatolytic or hydrothermal veins and cavities, as well as in metamorphic rocks. Additionally, it can occur in lithophysal cavities within rhyolite. Notable locations for bixbyite include the Jhabua and Chhindwara districts in India and the Thomas Range in Juab County, Utah, with occurrences also reported in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; northern Patagonia, Argentina; Girona, Catalonia, Spain; Sweden, Germany, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

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