Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
monocliniccommonhydroxides
Gibbsite
Al(OH)₃
This specimen displays a botryoidal (grape-like) aggregate of white to off-white gibbsite, characteristic of its common habit.
Gibbsite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
2.5Crystal System
monoclinicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
perfect on {001}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
2.35Colors
white, gray, greenish-white, reddish-white, colorlessTransparency
transparent to translucentType Locality
Xianghualing Mine (Hsianghualing Mine), Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field, Linwu County, Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, ChinaMineral Group
hydroxidesUses
main ore of aluminum (as a component of bauxite), fire retardant, antacid, collectorAssociated Minerals
kaolinite, goethite, hematite, boehmite, diasporeRarity
commonGeological Context
Gibbsite is a common component of bauxite, forming as a weathering product of aluminum-bearing minerals in tropical and subtropical climates. It can also occur in hydrothermal environments.
