BRUCITE (thumbnail)

Brucite is the mineral variant of magnesium hydroxide, represented by the chemical formula Mg(OH)2. It commonly forms as an alteration product of periclase in marble and serves as a low-temperature hydrothermal vein mineral found in metamorphosed limestones and chlorite schists. Additionally, brucite is produced during the serpentinization process of dunites. This mineral is frequently associated with other minerals such as serpentine, calcite, aragonite, dolomite, magnesite, hydromagnesite, artinite, talc, and chrysotile. Structurally, brucite features a layered arrangement similar to CdI2, with hydrogen bonds connecting the layers.

Brucite was first identified in 1824 by François Sulpice Beudant and was named in honor of the American mineralogist Archibald Bruce, who lived from 1777 to 1818. A fibrous form of brucite, known as nemalite, appears in elongated fibers or laths, typically aligned along the [1010] direction, though it can also be found in the [1120] crystalline direction.

2 pieces in this lot. Stand not included.