Name/Title
TalcEntry/Object ID
2013.1.21Description
Chemical Composition: SiO2
Crystal System: Triclinic System
Description: Common Name: Talc
Chemistry: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Group: Silicates
Location: Unknown
Description: This specimen is a uniform block of fine grained material which is homogenic. It is a light tan with some darker areas.
Physical Charateristics:
•Color is olive green, yellow or golden, brown, or black.
•Luster is greasy, waxy or silky.
•Transparency crystals are translucent and masses are opaque.
•Crystal System is variable, see above.
•Crystal Habits: never in large individual crystals, usually compact masses or fibrous. Veins of viberous serpentine can be found inside of massive serpentine or other rocks.
•Cleavage the varieties of crysotile have none, in lizardite and antigorite it is good in one direction.
•Fracture is conchoidal in antigorite and lizardite and splintery in the crysotiles.
•Hardness is 3 - 4.5
•Specific Gravity is 2.2 - 2.6
•Streak white
•Associated Minerals include chromite, olivine, garnets, calcite, biotite and talc.
•Other Characteristics: serpentine in the rough has a silky feel to the touch and fibers are very flexible.
•Notable Occurances Val Antigorio, Italy; Russia; Rhodesia Switzerland; North Carolina, California, Rhode Island and Arizona, USA and Quebec, Canada.
•Best Field Indicators softness, color, silky feel and luster, asbestos if present and its flexibility.
Fracture: Conchoidal
Hardness: 7 Quartz
Luster: Pearly
Rock Type: Sedimentary
Specific Gravity: 2.68-2.72
Streak: WhiteCollection
RAGM Mineral CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2013.1Source or Donor
Crater Rock Museum (Misc. donors)Acquisition Method
GiftDimensions
Width
4-3/4 inDepth
4 inLength
4-1/4 inLocation
Location
Shelf
CS-E-4Room
Curation StorageBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
StorageMoved By
Jillian Mather KettleyDate
March 6, 2024