Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126871365" class="extiw" title="d:Q126871365"><span title="photographer from the United States">Shannon Heinle</span></a></bdi> (CC0)
monocliniccommonSilicates
Talc
Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Talc is a very soft, usually pale green, white, or gray mineral with a distinctive greasy or soapy feel and a pearly luster, often found in foliated or massive forms.
Talc Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
1Crystal System
monoclinicLuster
pearlyStreak Color
whiteCleavage
perfect on {001}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
2.58Colors
white, gray, pale green, brownTransparency
translucentType Locality
Vermont, USA; Tyrol, Austria; Quebec, CanadaMineral Group
SilicatesUses
industrial, cosmetics, sculpture, lubricant, electrical insulationAssociated Minerals
serpentine, chlorite, dolomite, magnesite, tremolite, actinoliteRarity
commonGeological Context
Talc forms from the metamorphism of magnesium-rich rocks such as serpentinites and dolomitic marbles, typically under low-to-medium temperature and pressure conditions. It is a common alteration product of minerals like olivine, pyroxene, and amphibole.
