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The mineralogy of Magnesium

General Properties
Symbol:	Mg
Commodity pages:	Magnesium
Atomic Number:	12
Standard atomic weight (A_r):	24.3050(6)
Electron configuration:	[Ne] 3s²

Photos

<	Crystalised magnesium	>

Atomic Properties
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):	1.31
Atomic Radius:	145 pm
Ionic Radius:	72 pm (+2)
Van der Waals Radius:	173 pm
1st Ionization energy:	738 kJ/mol
Oxidation States:	1,2

Physical Properties
Standard State:	solid
Bonding Type:	metallic
Melting Point:	923 K
Boiling Point:	1363 K
Density:	1.74 g/cm³
Metal/Non-Metal:	alkaline earth metal

Main isotopes of Magnesium
Isotope	% in Nature	Half Life	Decay type	Decay product
²⁴Mg	78.99%	stable
²⁵Mg	10.00%	stable
²⁶Mg	11.01%	stable

Main ions of Magnesium
Name	Ion	Example minerals
magnesium	Mg²⁺	Magnesite, Dolomite

Other Information
Year Discovered:	1755
Discovered By:	Joseph Black
Year Isolated:	1808
Isolated By:	Humphry Davy
Named For:	after Magnesia, Greece
CPK color coding:	#8AFF00
External Links:	Wikipedia WebElements Los Alamos National Laboratory Theodore Gray's PeriodicTable.com

Simple Compounds and Mineral Names
Nitrides	trimagnesium dinitride	Mg₃N₂	+2
Sulfides	magnesium sulphide	MgS	+2
Selenides	magnesium selenide	MgSe	+2
Tellurides	magnesium telluride	MgTe	+2
Hydrides	magnesium dihydride	MgH₂	+2
Hydroxides	magnesium hydroxide	Mg(OH)₂	+2
Fluorides	magnesium difluoride	MgF₂	+2	Sellaite
Chlorides	magnesium dichloride	MgCl₂	+2
Iodides	magnesium diiodide	MgI₂	+2
Oxides	magnesium oxide	MgO	+2	Periclase
Oxides	magnesium peroxide	MgO₂	+2
Carbonates	magnesium carbonate	MgCO₃	+2	Magnesite
Sulfates	magnesium sulfate	MgSO₄	+2
	magnesium sulfate tetrahydrate	MgSO₄ · 4H₂O	+2	Cranswickite, Starkeyite
	magnesium sulfate pentahydrate	MgSO₄ · 5H₂O	+2	Pentahydrite
	magnesium sulfate hexahydrate	MgSO₄ · 6H₂O	+2	Hexahydrite
	magnesium sulfate heptahydrate	MgSO₄ · 7H₂O	+2	Epsomite
	magnesium sulfate undecahydrate	MgSO₄ · 11H₂O	+2	Meridianiite

Mineral Diversity of Magnesium
2. Sulfides And Sulfosalts	7 valid mineral species
3. Halides	24 valid mineral species
4. Oxides	74 valid mineral species
5. Carbonates	43 valid mineral species
6. Borates	61 valid mineral species
7. Sulfates	71 valid mineral species
8. Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates	165 valid mineral species
9. Silicates	273 valid mineral species
10. Organic Compounds	7 valid mineral species
Total:	725 valid species containing essential Magnesium

Minerals with the greatest weight % of Magnesium
Periclase	MgO	60.30 %
Tegengrenite	(Mn³⁺_0.5Sb⁵⁺_0.5)Mg₂O₄	43.17 %
Niningerite	MgS	43.12 %
Brucite	Mg(OH)₂	41.68 %
Hydroxylborite	Mg₃(BO₃)(OH)₃	39.90 %
Warwickite	(Mg,Ti,Fe,Al)₂O(BO₃)	39.39 %
Pertsevite-(OH)	Mg₂(BO₃)(OH)	39.07 %
Sellaite	MgF₂	39.01 %
Fluoborite	Mg₃(BO₃)(F,OH)₃	38.64 %
Pertsevite-(F)	Mg₂(BO₃)(F,OH)	38.45 %

Geochemistry of Magnesium
Goldschmidt classification:	Lithophile
Mg²⁺ was one of the ions least depleted from the mantle in the formation of the crust.
Mg²⁺ enters early-forming phases in igneous rocks.
Mg²⁺ is one of the eight most abundant solutes in average river water.
Mg²⁺ solute can be a limiting nutrient in the growth of bacteria.
Mg²⁺ solute is a macronutrient on land.
Mg²⁺ is essential to nutrition of at least some vertebrates ('essential minerals').

Elemental Abundance for Magnesium
Crust (CRC Handbook)	2.33 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Kaye & Laby)	2.8 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Greenwood)	2.7640 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	3.20 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Wänke)	2.37 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Weaver)	1.69 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	1.33 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Shaw)	1.35 x 10^-2	mass fraction, kg/kg
Sea Water (CRC Handbook)	1.29 x 10^-3	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Sea Water (Kaye & Laby)	1.3 x 10^-3	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
The Sun (Kaye & Laby)	1.0 x 10⁰	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Kaye & Laby)	1.1 x 10⁰	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Ahrens)	1.074 x 10⁰ (3.8%)	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1 (% uncertainty)

Element association of Magnesium in the Mineral World
This table compares the known valid mineral species listed listed with Magnesium and the other elements listed based on the official IMA formula. Note that unlike other sections on this page this includes non-essential elements. The first data column contains the total number of minerals listed with Magnesium and the element listed for that row. The second data column lists this number as a percentage of all minerals listed with Magnesium. The final data column compares this percentage against the percentage of all minerals that contain the element listed in each row. Click on a heading to sort.

Element	Valid Minerals listed with element and Magnesium	% of Mg minerals	Relative to % in all minerals
Oxygen	820 minerals with Mg and O	98.91%	21.94% higher
Hydrogen	578 minerals with Mg and H	69.72%	25.37% higher
Silicon	334 minerals with Mg and Si	40.29%	46.25% higher
Aluminium	289 minerals with Mg and Al	34.86%	75.24% higher
Calcium	261 minerals with Mg and Ca	31.48%	26.46% higher
Iron	249 minerals with Mg and Fe	30.04%	33.88% higher
Sodium	229 minerals with Mg and Na	27.62%	48.07% higher
Phosphorus	133 minerals with Mg and P	16.04%	30.57% higher
Manganese	118 minerals with Mg and Mn	14.23%	22.59% higher
Potassium	100 minerals with Mg and K	12.06%	21.17% higher
Boron	99 minerals with Mg and B	11.94%	138.77% higher
Fluorine	99 minerals with Mg and F	11.94%	51.54% higher
Sulfur	81 minerals with Mg and S	9.77%	55.72% lower
Carbon	73 minerals with Mg and C	8.81%	7.78% higher
Arsenic	73 minerals with Mg and As	8.81%	32.23% lower
Titanium	60 minerals with Mg and Ti	7.24%	2.98% higher
Chlorine	48 minerals with Mg and Cl	5.79%	21.56% lower
Zinc	41 minerals with Mg and Zn	4.95%	12.14% lower
Vanadium	40 minerals with Mg and V	4.83%	0.34% higher
Barium	37 minerals with Mg and Ba	4.46%	3.97% lower
Copper	32 minerals with Mg and Cu	3.86%	71.49% lower
Uranium	28 minerals with Mg and U	3.38%	34.37% lower
Chromium	26 minerals with Mg and Cr	3.14%	66.68% higher
Lithium	21 minerals with Mg and Li	2.53%	26.01% higher
Cerium	21 minerals with Mg and Ce	2.53%	17.96% lower
Strontium	19 minerals with Mg and Sr	2.29%	17.62% lower
Beryllium	17 minerals with Mg and Be	2.05%	4.84% lower
Nitrogen	15 minerals with Mg and N	1.81%	28.79% lower
Niobium	13 minerals with Mg and Nb	1.57%	49.21% lower
Lead	12 minerals with Mg and Pb	1.45%	86.65% lower
Zirconium	9 minerals with Mg and Zr	1.09%	55.00% lower
Antimony	9 minerals with Mg and Sb	1.09%	81.04% lower
Tellurium	9 minerals with Mg and Te	1.09%	69.45% lower
Molybdenum	8 minerals with Mg and Mo	0.97%	38.77% lower
Nickel	7 minerals with Mg and Ni	0.84%	74.88% lower
Tin	7 minerals with Mg and Sn	0.84%	53.94% lower
Tungsten	7 minerals with Mg and W	0.84%	6.24% lower
Lanthanum	6 minerals with Mg and La	0.72%	47.05% lower
Scandium	5 minerals with Mg and Sc	0.60%	38.90% higher
Yttrium	5 minerals with Mg and Y	0.60%	74.49% lower
Iodine	3 minerals with Mg and I	0.36%	31.81% lower
Cobalt	2 minerals with Mg and Co	0.24%	80.52% lower
Caesium	2 minerals with Mg and Cs	0.24%	54.54% lower
Selenium	2 minerals with Mg and Se	0.24%	90.96% lower
Tantalum	2 minerals with Mg and Ta	0.24%	78.87% lower
Mercury	1 mineral with Mg and Hg	0.12%	93.24% lower
Bismuth	1 mineral with Mg and Bi	0.12%	97.13% lower
Neodymium	1 mineral with Mg and Nd	0.12%	85.85% lower

Periodic Table

2He

3Li

4Be

Show/hide current element

Default Categories CPK Electronegativity Atomic Radius Lowest Oxidation Highest Oxidation Crustal Abundance Goldschmidt Mineral Species Minerals with Mg Relative Frequency

Sodium << Magnesium >> Aluminium

Most widespread minerals containing Magnesium
This list of minerals containing Magnesium is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Magnesium mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Most widespread minerals containing Magnesium

This list of minerals containing Magnesium is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Magnesium mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Name	Formula	Crystal System	Mindat Localities
Dolomite	CaMg(CO₃)₂	Trigonal	12735
Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆	Monoclinic	5853
Actinolite	◻Ca₂(Mg_4.5-2.5Fe_0.5-2.5)Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂	Monoclinic	4731
Talc	Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂	Triclinic	4299
Tremolite	◻Ca₂Mg₅(Si₈O₂₂)(OH)₂	Monoclinic	3450
Phlogopite	KMg₃(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂	Monoclinic	3434
Augite	(Ca_xMg_yFe_z)(Mg_y1Fe_z1)Si₂O₆	Monoclinic	3179
Spinel	MgAl₂O₄	Isometric	2789
Clinochlore	Mg₅Al(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₈	Monoclinic	2435
Magnesite	MgCO₃	Trigonal	1940

Photos
Dolomite Friedrichssegen Mine, Friedrichssegen, Lahnstein, Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Diopside, etc. La Juanona Quarry, Antequera, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain Actinolite Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia Talc Talggenkopf, Finkenberg, Schwaz District, Tyrol, Austria Dolomite Friedrichssegen Mine, Friedrichssegen, Lahnstein, Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Diopside, etc. La Juanona Quarry, Antequera, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain Actinolite Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia Talc Talggenkopf, Finkenberg, Schwaz District, Tyrol, Austria Dolomite Friedrichssegen Mine, Friedrichssegen, Lahnstein, Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Diopside, etc. La Juanona Quarry, Antequera, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain Actinolite Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia Talc Talggenkopf, Finkenberg, Schwaz District, Tyrol, Austria

Photos

Dolomite

Friedrichssegen Mine, Friedrichssegen, Lahnstein, Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Diopside, etc.

La Juanona Quarry, Antequera, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain

Actinolite

Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

Talc

Talggenkopf, Finkenberg, Schwaz District, Tyrol, Austria

Dolomite

Friedrichssegen Mine, Friedrichssegen, Lahnstein, Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Diopside, etc.

La Juanona Quarry, Antequera, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain

Actinolite

Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

Talc

Talggenkopf, Finkenberg, Schwaz District, Tyrol, Austria

Dolomite

Friedrichssegen Mine, Friedrichssegen, Lahnstein, Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Diopside, etc.

La Juanona Quarry, Antequera, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain

Actinolite

Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

Talc

Talggenkopf, Finkenberg, Schwaz District, Tyrol, Austria

Localities with greatest number of different Magnesium mineral species

1	Långban Mine, Långban Ore District, Filipstad, Värmland County, Sweden	60 Mg minerals
2	Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough (North Breach), Great Fissure eruption (Main Fracture), Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia	51 Mg minerals
3	Kovdor Massif, Kovdorsky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia	50 Mg minerals
4	Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany	43 Mg minerals
5	Sterling Mine, Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA	41 Mg minerals
6	Poudrette quarry (De-Mix quarry; Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry; Carrière Mont Saint-Hilaire; MSH), Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada	40 Mg minerals
7	Udachnaya open-pit mine (Udachnaya-Vostochnaya pipe; Udachnaya pipe), Daldyn, Mirninsky District, Sakha, Russia	40 Mg minerals
	Sakha, Russia	39 Mg minerals

Important industrial minerals containing Magnesium

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Dolomite	CaMg(CO₃)₂	Trigonal
Magnesite	MgCO₃	Trigonal

Photos
Dolomite Azcárate Quarry, Eugui, Esteríbar, Navarre, Spain Magnesite Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil Dolomite Teutonic Bore Mine, Ten Mile Outcamp, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australia Magnesite, etc. Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil Dolomite Azcárate Quarry, Eugui, Esteríbar, Navarre, Spain Magnesite Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil Dolomite Teutonic Bore Mine, Ten Mile Outcamp, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australia Magnesite, etc. Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil Dolomite Azcárate Quarry, Eugui, Esteríbar, Navarre, Spain Magnesite Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil Dolomite Teutonic Bore Mine, Ten Mile Outcamp, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australia Magnesite, etc. Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Photos

Dolomite

Azcárate Quarry, Eugui, Esteríbar, Navarre, Spain

Magnesite

Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Dolomite

Teutonic Bore Mine, Ten Mile Outcamp, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australia

Magnesite, etc.

Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Dolomite

Azcárate Quarry, Eugui, Esteríbar, Navarre, Spain

Magnesite

Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Dolomite

Teutonic Bore Mine, Ten Mile Outcamp, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australia

Magnesite, etc.

Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Dolomite

Azcárate Quarry, Eugui, Esteríbar, Navarre, Spain

Magnesite

Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Dolomite

Teutonic Bore Mine, Ten Mile Outcamp, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australia

Magnesite, etc.

Pomba pit, Serra das Éguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

Spotted a mistake/omission? - These pages are a work in progress, so please send all comments/corrections to jolyon@mindat.org. Thank you.

Constants and physical property data from:

Lide, David R. - Ed. (2005) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - A Ready-Reference Book of Chemical and Physical Data (85th ed.). CRC Press.
National Physical Laboratory (2005) Kaye and Laby Online (discontinued). https://web.archive.org/web/20190506031327/http://www.kayelaby.npl.co.uk/
Kaye, G. W. C.; Laby, T. H. (n.d.) Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants and some Mathematical Functions. Longmans, Green, and Co.
Greenwood, N.N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997) Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth–Heinemann.
Ahrens, Thomas J. - Ed. (1995) Global Earth Physics - A Handbook of Physical Constants - AGU Reference Shelf No. 1. American Geophysical Union.
Railsback, L. Bruce (2003) An earth scientist's periodic table of the elements and their ions. Geology, 31 (9) 737 doi:10.1130/g19542.1
Emsley, John (2001) Nature's Building Blocks - An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

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