Dypingite - Encyclopedia
Class : Carbonates, nitrates, borates
Subclass : Hydrated carbonates
Crystal system : Monoclinic
Chemistry : Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 5H2O
Rarity : Very rare
Dypingite is an extremely rare magnesium carbonate. It is a secondary mineral that is found in coatings in the cracks of antigorite or hydrotalcite of serpentinite - magnesite deposits. It owes its name to its location of discovery : Dypingdal (Norway). It is known in spherical aggregates with a fibroradiated texture, 0.3 mm maximum, white in color, rarely pink.
Main photo : Dypingite from Brosso Mine, Piedmont, Italy © Alessandro Cantamessa
Dypingite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fake listed for this mineral species.
Hardness : Undeterminated
Density : 2.15
Fracture : Fibrous
Streak : White
TP : Translucent
RI : 1.508 to 1.516
Birefringence : 0.008
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : Blue, yellow and green
Solubility : Hydrochloric acid
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None