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Rutile
Current inventory:  1 gem
 

Chemistry:  TiO₂  [Titanium Oxide]

Discovered in 1803;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Rutile is named from the Latin word rutilus meaning red.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Oxides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

4/D.02-10

4 : Oxides & Hydroxides
D : Oxides with metal : oxygen = 1:2 (MO2 and related compounds)
02 : Rutile group, Rutile - Cassiterite - Platnerite series

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are prismatic, elongated and striated, to 25 cm, many others; equant, rarely dipyramidal; massive.

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[110], good; [100], moderate; [111], in traces

Fracture:

Conchoidal, Subconchoidal, Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

6.0 - 6.5

Density:

4.2 - 5.6 (g/cm³)

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Red, Reddish brown, pale yellow, pale blue, violet, black, rarely green

Transparency:

Transparent to Opaque

Luster:

Adamantine to Submetallic

Refractive Index:

2.605 - 2.901  Uniaxial (+)

Birefringence:

0.287

Dispersion:

Strong

Pleochroism:

Distinct; shades of red, brown, yellow, green

Anisotropism:

Strong

Occurances

Geological Setting:

A common high-temperature, high-pressure accessory mineral in igneous rocks, anorthosite, and granite pegmatite; in hydrothermally-altered rocks; in gneiss, schist, contact metamorphosed limestone; in clays, shales; a common detrital mineral.

Type Locality:

Cajuelo, Vuitrago, Burgos, Castile and Leon, Spain

Year Discovered:

1803

View mineral photos:

Rutile Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Rutile is a very rare gem that is one of the three forms of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) found in nature. The other two are Brookite and Anatase. Rutile is usually such a deep red, that large gems are too dark to be appreciated. Smaller gems show the intense red color better. Rutile is also commonly seen as needles in quartz (rutilated quartz) and other gem minerals. Rutile is common worldwide, but gem quality crystals are very rare and often kept as mineral specimens.
 

  
Rutile gems for sale: