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Real mineral · common · C

Pure carbon in sheets so weakly bound that they slide over one another, which is why it marks paper and greases a lock. The same element that makes diamond, laid flat instead of braced in three dimensions.

Identity

Formula

C

Chemical class

native_element

Also known as

Plumbago, Black lead

Crystallography

Crystal system

hexagonal

Habits

foliated, massive, earthy

Fracture

uneven

Physical properties

Mohs hardness

2

Density

2.16 g/cm³

Luster

submetallic

Colors

iron black, dark gray, black, steel gray

Streak

black

Transparency

opaque

Geology

Origins

metamorphic, igneous

Host rocks

marble, schist, gneiss

Associated minerals

Calcite, Quartz, Pyrite

Geography

Sri Lanka, Madagascar, China

Classification

Rarity

common

Gem quality

No

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