Rutilo
Rutilo is a mineral with formula TiO₂, in the Óxidos group. This specimen comes from Rutilated Quartz Localities, Remedios, Novo Horizonte, Bahía, Brasil and joined the Terrium collection in 2026.
Description
Short to medium rutile needles growing radially between steel-grey specular hematite plates, the aggregate supported on a hyaline quartz crystal.
History of this specimen
I note an error on the original label: not Belo Horizonte but Novo Horizonte.
About Rutilo
A chemically austere paragenesis, the result of a hydrothermal system with low elemental diversity, where iron, titanium and silicon crystallise independently, linked only to oxygen.
About the locality
An industrialised region to the point of depredation but also very generous to collectors, with extreme varietal diversity sustained over centuries. A productive rara avis: a district is usually either very diverse but mediocre, or very good but very limited. However, Minas Gerais is both at once. Perhaps its name is giving us clues…
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0346
- Composition
- TiO₂
- Name
- Rutilo
- Group
- Óxidos
- Category
- Cresta Montis
- Matrix
- cuarzo
- Associations
- hematites
- Mine
- Rutilated Quartz Localities
- District / Municipality
- Remedios
- Province
- Novo Horizonte
- Region
- Bahía
- Country
- Brasil
- Size (cm)
- 6 x 4 x 3
- Weight
- 96 g
- Acquired
- 2026
- Etymology
- From the Latin "rutilus", reddish or shining.
- Quality
- Buena
- Value trend
- Estable
Related specimens
- Ágatha — Brasil
- Anatasa — Pakistan
- Armalcolita — España
- Becquerelita — República Democrática del Congo (ex-Zaire)
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- Calcofanita — España
- Cianita — Brasil
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