Name/Title
CarnalliteEntry/Object ID
2014.1.7Description
Chemical Composition: Al(OH)3
Crystal System: Hexagonal System
Description: Common Name: Carnalite
Chemistry: KMgCl3 - 6H2O
Group: Halides
Location: Hesse, Germany
Description: Small specimen with mutiple pseudo-hexagonal and tabular crystals.
Physical Charateristics:
•Color is white, colorless or yellow; rarely blue. Hematite inclusions may color specimens reddish.
•Luster is vitreous to greasy, resinous or dull.
•Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
•Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m.
•Crystal Habits are typically granular and massive, sometimes fibrous. Individual crystals are rare, but when seen are pseudo-hexagonal and tabular.
•Cleavage is absent.
•Fracture is conchoidal.
•Hardness is 2.5
•Specific Gravity is approximately 1.6 (light even for translucent minerals).
•Streak is white.
•Other Characteristics: Bitter taste, deliquescent (meaning it can absorb water from the air), fluorescent and can color a flame violet (due to potassium).
•Associated Minerals include halite, anhydrite, dolomite, gypsum, kainite, kieserite, polyhalite, sylvite and other more rare potassium evaporite minerals.
•Notable Occurrences include Carlsbad, New Mexico; Western Texas; Colorado and Utah, USA; Strassfurt, Germany; Ural Mountains, Russia; Iran; China; Tunisia; Spain; Mali; Ukraine and Saskatchewan, Canada.
•Best Field Indicators are environment of formation, lack of cleavage, associations, density, deliquescence, fracture and taste.
Hardness: 7 Quartz
Rock Type: SedimentaryCollection
RAGM Mineral CollectionDimensions
Height
3-1/4 inWidth
1 inLength
2-1/4 inLocation
Location
Display Case
FS-5-ARoom
Frieda Smith HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
ExhibitMoved By
Ian C.Date
January 29, 2025Notes
Major mineral groups installationLocation
Display Case
FS-11Room
Frieda Smith HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Curtis GardnerDate
December 27, 2023
