mineral

Muscovite Mica

Muscovite - KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2

Hardness: 2-2.5 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless, silvery, or light brown; Luster: Vitreous to pearly; Crystal structure: Monoclinic; Cleavage: Perfect basal (peels into thin sheets); Specific gravity: 2.76–3.00

Hardness: 2-2
Color: Colorless, silvery, or light brown
Luster: Vitreous to pearly

Identified March 22, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in igneous environments (granites and pegmatites) or metamorphic environments (schists and gneisses). It can form at any geological age depending on the host rock tectonic activity.

Uses & applications

Used as an electrical and thermal insulator in electronics, as a filler in paints and plastics, as a shimmer agent in cosmetics (lipstick/eyeshadow), and as 'glitter' in construction materials like joint compounds.

Geological facts

In early Russia, thin transparent sheets of muscovite were used for windows and were known as 'Muscovy Glass,' which is where the mineral gets its name. It is highly elastic and can be bent into a circle without breaking.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its distinct silvery-white color and its ability to be flaked apart into paper-thin, transparent sheets with a fingernail. Found globally, especially in mountain ranges with exposed granite or schist like the Appalachians or Himalayas.