mineral

Muscovite Mica

Muscovite (Potassium Aluminum Silicate) - KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2

Hardness: 2.0–2.5 Mohs (scratches with fingernail). Color: Colorless, silvery, or light green. Luster: Pearly to Vitreous. Crystal Structure: Monoclinic, typically forming thin, flexible, elastic sheets or flakes. Cleavage: Perfect basal cleavage.

Hardness: 2
Color: Colorless, silvery, or light green
Luster: Pearly to Vitreous

Identified April 16, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed as a primary mineral in igneous rocks like granite and pegmatites, as well as in metamorphic rocks like schist and phyllite during regional metamorphism.

Uses & applications

Used as an electrical insulator in electronics, as a heat-resistant window material (Isinglass), in makeup for shimmer, and as a filler in paints and plastics.

Geological facts

Muscovite was once used for windows in Russia because it was cheaper and more heat-resistant than glass; the name 'Muscovite' comes from 'Muscovy-glass'. Single sheets can be peeled off almost infinitely thin.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its ability to peel into flexible, transparent thin sheets and its pearly luster. Commonly found in coarse-grained granites and shiny schists worldwide.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral