Huntite
Description
A soft, white mineral composed of magnesium calcium carbonate. The mineral huntite was first described by Faust in 1953 and its use as a pigment by ancient Egyptians was identified by Riederer in 1974 (Eastaugh et al 2004).
Other Properties
Microscopically similar to calcite. Moderate birefringence with strong interference colors.
| Composition | Mg3Ca(CO3)4 |
|---|---|
| Refractive Index | ~1.625 |
Additional Information
° Nicholas Eastaugh, Valentine Walsh, Tracey Chaplin, Ruth Siddall, Pigment Compendium, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004
° B. Ford, I.MacLeod, P.Haydock, "Rock art pigments from Kimberley region of Western Australia: identification of the minerals and conversion mechanisms." Studies in conservation 39, no. 1 (1994), pp. 57-69
Authority
- Nicholas Eastaugh, Valentine Walsh, Tracey Chaplin, Ruth Siddall, Pigment Compendium, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004 Comment: Refractive index: w=1.679; e=1.500