Baddeleyite
Mineral ZrO2
About it
Brown to black tabular crystals in carbonatites, kimberlites, and some basalts and meteorites. Prized by geologists for dating rocks; Phalaborwa, South Africa, and Kovdor, Russia, yield crystals.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Oxide
- Formula
- ZrO2
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 6.5
- Specific gravity
- 5.4–6
- Streak
- white to brownish white
- Lustre
- adamantine (diamond-like), vitreous (glassy), greasy
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Colours
- colourless, yellow, green, brown, black
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- distinct basal; subconchoidal to uneven fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.