Dolomite (Mineral)
Stone Corral Dolomite. Photo courtesy William C. Johnson.
The mineral dolomite is the main component of the sedimentary rock that is also called dolomite. It is similar to the mineral calcite but contains magnesium as well as calcium. Just based on looks, the rock dolomite is often impossible to distinguish from limestone, which is composed mainly of calcite. Dolomite crystals are usually rhombic-shaped but, unlike most other minerals, the crystal faces typically are curved.
- Chemical compound: calcium magnesium carbonate
- Chemical formula: CaMg(CO3)2 (Ca = calcium, Mg = magnesium, C = carbon, O = oxygen)
- Color: white, gray, greenish, brown, pink
- Luster: often glassy
- Hardness: 3.5–4
- Specific gravity: 2.8
- Amount of transparency: transparent to translucent