How do I identify Sepiolite?

Sepiolite can be identified by its hardness of 2 on the Mohs scale, White color. Look for these key characteristics when examining specimens.

What color is Sepiolite?

Sepiolite typically appears in White, light gray or light yellow.. Color can vary depending on impurities and formation conditions.

How hard is Sepiolite?

Sepiolite has a hardness of 2 on the Mohs scale. This makes it a soft mineral that can be scratched easily.

Sepiolite

A variety of Minerals

What is Sepiolite?

Sepiolite, also known in English by the German name meerschaum (/ˈmɪərʃɔːm/ MEER-shawm, /-ʃəm/ -⁠shəm; German: [ˈmeːɐ̯ʃaʊm] (listen); meaning "sea foam"), is a soft white clay mineral, often used to make tobacco pipes (known as meerschaum pipes). A complex magnesium silicate, a typical chemical formula for which is Mg4Si6O15(OH)2·6H2O, it can be present in fibrous, fine-particulate, and solid forms. Originally named meerschaum by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1788, it was named sepiolite by Ernst Friedrich Glocker in 1847 for an occurrence in Bettolino, Baldissero Canavese, Torino Province, Piedmont, Italy. The name comes from Greek sepion (σήπιον), meaning "cuttlebone" (the porous internal shell of the cuttlefish), + lithos (λίθος), meaning stone, after a perceived resemblance of this mineral to cuttlebone. Because of its low specific gravity and its high porosity, it may float upon water, hence its German name. It is sometimes found floating on the Black Sea and rather suggestive of sea-foam, hence the German origin of the name as well as the French name for the same substance, écume de mer.

Uses & Applications

In Somalia and Djibouti, sepiolite is used to make the dabqaad, a traditional incense burner. The mineral is mined in the town of El Buur, the latter of which serves as a center for quarrying. El Buur is also the place of origin of the local pipe-making industry. Imitations are made in plaster of Paris and other preparations. The soft, white, earthy mineral from Långbanshyttan, in Värmland, Sweden, known as aphrodite (Greek: sea foam), is closely related to sepiolite. In construction, sepiolite can be used in lime mortars as water reservoir. Processes for bacterial transformation based on the Yoshida effect can utilize sepiolite as an acicular nanofiber.

Sepiolite Market Value Calculator

Estimate the market value of Sepiolite using size, quality, and finish. This preview calculator is for quick context and is not a formal appraisal.

Sepiolite Localities Map

See where Sepiolite is found with a localities map, collecting zones, and geology context. Generate a sample map preview below.

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North ZoneCentral RidgeSouth Basin

Key Characteristics

Characteristics of Sepiolite

Sepiolite is opaque and off-white, grey or cream colour, breaking with a conchoidal or fine earthy fracture, and occasionally fibrous in texture. Due to the fact it can be readily scratched with the finger nail, its hardness is ranked at about 2 on the Mohs scale. The specific gravity varies from 0.988 to 1.279, but the porosity of the mineral may lead to error. Sepiolite is a hydrous magnesium silicate having the chemical formula Mg4Si6O15(OH)2·6H2O. When first extracted, sepiolite is soft. However, it hardens on exposure to sun heat or when dried in a warm room.