Kieserite - Encyclopedia
Class : Sulfates, chromates, molybdates
Subclass : Hydrated sulfates
Crystal system : Monoclinic
Chemistry : MgSO4 H2O
Rarity : Common
Kieserite is a sulfate of marine evaporites. It was named in honor of Dietrich Georg Kieser, President of the Academy of Jena (Germany). Kieserite occurs in grainy masses, intimately mixed with other salts (halite, sylvite, polyhalite), sometimes in pyramidal crystals, colorless or grayish or yellowish in color. It is used as a source of potassium in the manufacture of potassium salts.
Main photo : Kieserite from Kladno District, Czech Republic © Harold Moritz
Kieserite in the World
Twinning
Contact twins are known on {001} and polysynthetics according to [110].
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 3.5
Density : 2.57
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White
TP : Translucent
RI : 1.520 to 1.584
Birefringence : 0.064
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Water
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None