Ilmenite
Image: Robert M. Lavinsky (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameIlmenite
Chemical FormulaFeTiO3
Mohs Hardness5
Crystal Systemtrigonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorblack to brownish red
Cleavagenone
Fractureconchoidal
Specific Gravity4.7
Colorsiron-black, steel-gray, brownish-black
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityMiass (Miask), Ilmen Mts, Chelyabinsk Oblast', Southern Urals, Urals Region, Russia
Mineral GroupOxides
Usestitanium ore, pigment production, alloys, aerospace industry
Associated Mineralsmagnetite, hematite, rutile, apatite, plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine
Raritycommon
Description
The image displays a dark, opaque mineral with a submetallic to metallic luster, typically exhibiting tabular or platy crystal forms and an iron-black to steel-gray color.
Geological Context
Ilmenite is a common accessory mineral in mafic igneous rocks like gabbros and anorthosites, and also occurs in metamorphic rocks and as a heavy mineral in placer deposits. It forms primarily through magmatic crystallization.
