Physical Properties |
|
| Chemical formula | FeCO3 |
| Class | Carbonate |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal (rhombohedral) |
| Habit | Typically rhombohedra, often with curved faces Fine- to coarse-grained aggregates Colloform Globular Botryoidal Fibrous Earthy |
| Color | Light to dark brown |
| Hardness | 3.5 to 4 |
| Specific gravity | 3.96 |
| Cleavage | Perfect rhombohedral {101} |
| Fracture | Subconchoidal |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Transparency | Translucent |
| Streak | White |
Optical Properties |
|
| PPL | Typically colorless to pale yellow-brown |
| XPL | High 2nd to low 3rd order colors |
| δ | 0.242 |
| Special properties | Effervesces in warm HCl |
| after Perkins, 383 |
Siderite Hand Sample
Siderite in Thin Section
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