mineral
Muscovite Mica
KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hardness: 2.0-2.5; Color: Colorless, silvery-white, or light brown; Luster: Vitreous to pearly; Crystal structure: Monoclinic; Cleavage: Perfect basal cleavage (peels into thin sheets); Specific Gravity: 2.76-3.00
- Hardness
- 2
- Color
- Colorless, silvery-white, or light brown
- Luster
- Vitreous to pearly
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Physical properties
Hardness: 2.0-2.5; Color: Colorless, silvery-white, or light brown; Luster: Vitreous to pearly; Crystal structure: Monoclinic; Cleavage: Perfect basal cleavage (peels into thin sheets); Specific Gravity: 2.76-3.00
Formation & geological history
Forms in igneous rocks like granites and pegmatites, and metamorphic rocks such as schists and gneisses through hydrothermal or metamorphic processes.
Uses & applications
Used as an electrical insulator, in paints, cosmetics (for shimmer), joint compounds, and as a heat-resistant window material in old stoves (isinglass).
Geological facts
Muscovite is also known as common mica or potash mica. Large sheets were used as window panes in Russia, giving it the name 'Muscovy Glass'.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its characteristic 'books' of sheets that can be easily peeled with a fingernail. Found globally, especially in mica-rich schists in Brazil, India, and the USA (North Carolina).
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Schist
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Metamorphic
Gypsum (variety Selenite or Alabaster)
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Mineral
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