Diaspore
| Colour | Brown, Green, Pink |
|---|---|
| Mohs hardness | 6.5–7.0 |
| Lustre | Adamantine, vitreous, pearly on cleavage faces |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Transparency | Transparent to translucent |
| Cleavage | {010} perfect, {110} distinct, {100} in traces |
| Fracture | Conchoidal |
| Chemical formula | α-AlO(OH) |
| Specific gravity | 3.1–3.4 |
What is Diaspore?
Diaspore – also called diasporite, empholite, kayserite, or tanatarite – is an aluminium hydroxide oxide mineral, α-AlO(OH), crystallizing in the orthorhombic system and isomorphous with goethite. It occurs sometimes as flattened crystals, but usually as lamellar or scaly masses, the flattened surface being a direction of perfect cleavage on which the lustre is markedly pearly in character. It is colorless or greyish-white, yellowish, sometimes violet in color, and varies from translucent to transparent. It may be readily distinguished from other colorless transparent minerals with a perfect c
How to identify Diaspore
- Lustre: Adamantine, vitreous, pearly on cleavage faces.
- Hardness: Mohs 6.5–7.0 — about as hard as a steel knife.
- Habit: Orthorhombic crystal system.
Diaspore in different forms
Stones often confused with Diaspore
Frequently asked questions
How hard is Diaspore?
Diaspore is Mohs 6.5–7.0 on the hardness scale.
What colour is Diaspore?
Diaspore is typically brown, green, pink (White, pale gray, colorless, greenish gray, brown, pale yellow, pink, purple; may exhibit color change).