Mookaite
redyellowbrown · Chalcedony family
| Also known as | Chalcedony (Chalcedony family) |
|---|---|
| Colour | Red, Yellow, Brown |
| Mohs hardness | 6–7 |
| Lustre | Waxy, vitreous, dull, greasy, silky |
| Streak | White |
| Crystal system | Trigonal (quartz) or monoclinic (moganite) |
| Transparency | Translucent |
| Cleavage | Absent |
| Fracture | Uneven, splintery, conchoidal |
| Chemical formula | (silica) |
| Specific gravity | 2.59–2.61 |
What is Mookaite?
Radiolarite is a siliceous, comparatively hard, fine-grained, chert-like, and homogeneous sedimentary rock that is composed predominantly of the microscopic remains of radiolarians. This term is also used for indurated radiolarian oozes and sometimes as a synonym of radiolarian earth. However, radiolarian earth is typically regarded by Earth scientists to be the unconsolidated equivalent of a radiolarite. A radiolarian chert is well-bedded, microcrystalline radiolarite that has a well-developed siliceous cement or groundmass.
How to identify Mookaite
- Lustre: Waxy, vitreous, dull, greasy, silky.
- Hardness: Mohs 6–7 — about as hard as a steel knife.
- Streak: White.
- Habit: Trigonal (quartz) or monoclinic (moganite) crystal system.
Mookaite in different forms
Stones often confused with Mookaite
Frequently asked questions
How hard is Mookaite?
Mookaite is Mohs 6–7 on the hardness scale.
What colour is Mookaite?
Mookaite is typically red, yellow, brown.