Corundum | |
Chemical Formula |
Al2O3 |
Species |
Oxides & Hydroxides |
Crystal System |
Trigonal |
Mohs Scale |
9 |
Specific Gravity |
3.95-4.10 |
Color |
Colorless, gray, brown; pink to pigeon-blood-red, orange, yellow, green, blue to cornflower blue, Purple; may be color zoned, asteriated mainly grey and brown |
Streak |
White |
Luster |
Adamantine, Vitreous, Pearly |
Refractive Index |
n = 1.767 - 1.772 n = 1.759 - 1.763 |
Diaphaneity |
Transparent, Translucent, Opaque |
Cleavage |
None Observed |
Fracture |
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal |
Crystal Habit:Steep bipyramidal, tabular, prismatic, rhombohedral crystals, massive or granular | |
Geological Setting:Silica-poor rocks, such as Nepheline-Syenites, alkali igneous undersaturated rocks, contact aureoles in altered aluminous shales, aluminous xenoliths in high temperature plutonic and hypabyssal rocks, metamorphosed bauxite deposits, and as a detrital material in sediments. |