What on Earth Is Magnesite?

Magnesite is a magnesium carbonate mineral (MgCO3) in the calcite group, and a primary source of magnesium for the steel and chemical industries. Rare gem-quality pieces are cut into faceted stones and cabochons for budget-friendly jewellery, and the porous white stone is often dyed, so it turns up as beads and tumbled stones in many colours. Below: its properties, history and lore.

The Physical Properties of Magnesite

Magnesite's chemical composition is MgCO3. When heated, it will dissociate or split into magnesium oxide (MgO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Having an exceedingly high melting point, magnesium oxide is an excellent refractory material in producing steel, metal, and ceramic.

It is also often used in making ovens, kilns, and furnaces. Magnesium oxide is also a principal component in fertilizers.

Raw magnesite has a brain-like shape with veins all over its body. It displays a glassy to dull sheen. It occurs in various colours: white, gray, yellowish, brown, or colourless. It is rated 3.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and forms a conchoidal fracture when it breaks.

Being a fragile mineral, gems and jewelry made of magnesite stones must be kept in a cloth box or bag (separate from other gems). Harder and sharper objects like a knife could easily scratch the stones.

Due to its ability to be cut and shaped into other forms, magnesite is also used as a material in making beads, tumbled stones, and cabochons. It also has a high absorption rate so it is a common practice to dye it with different vibrant colours for aesthetic and decorative purposes.

There is a lot of dyed magnesite on the market, often used in low-cost jewellery and craft making. Some is dyed in shades of blue to look like turquoise or lapis lazuli. But scratching a knockoff stone with a nail will easily remove the coloured surface and reveal the white magnesite.

The History of Magnesite

It was Jean-Claude Delamétherie, a French mineralogist and geologist, who coined the name Magnesite in 1785. However, the name was broadly used to classify a number of stones with magnesium content.

In 1808, German mineralogist Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten used the name to refer solely to the magnesium carbonate variety.

There are several ways magnesite can form in nature:

• When magnesium-rich rocks (e.g., peridotite or serpentine) undergoes carbonation during contact, hydrothermal, or regional metamorphism
• During the process where marble, limestone, or other rocks high in carbonate are altered by magnesium-rich solutions as contact, hydrothermal, or regional metamorphism occurs
• When it precipitates as a secondary mineral in fractures and veins on carbonate and ultramafic rocks (igneous and meta-igneous rocks with low silica content)

Magnesite can be mined worldwide. Popular deposits of this mineral are located in Brazil, Austria, China, USA, Australia, France, and Germany.

The Lore of Magnesite

The first known users of magnesite are the Native Americans, particularly the Promo Tribes of California. They made jewelry out of magnesite stones and even used magnesite beads as a currency.

In modern crystal folklore, magnesite is linked with calm, patience and steady energy.

The Metaphysical Properties of Magnesite

In crystal practice, magnesite stands for calm and contentment, and for the link between your thoughts and your emotions. It is associated with happiness and a settled mind.

Crystal practitioners also associate magnesite with compassion and with awareness of the people and surroundings around you.

Here are some ways to tap into the powers of magnesite:

• Wear it as a pendant, bracelet, earring, necklace, or brooch
• Keep a Magnesite stone in your pocket or anywhere near you to manifest your desires, and intentions
• Hold it with both hands during prayer and meditation
• Place it near your head to unblock and activate your crown chakra