Beautiful Golden Rutile Crystals with Hematite

Rutile is an oxide mineral composed of titanium dioxide (TiO2), the most common natural form of TiO2.

Rutile is a very important mineral in modern industry is a major economic ore of titanium, a

lightweight metal with high strength and high resistance to corrosion. Most crystals form

beautifully twinned prismatic and opaque crystals, which occasionally occur as acicular, golden

fibers. Some quartz crystals contain fine rutile fibers that have exsolved and formed after the

crystallization of the quartz. The orientation of these rutile fibers is often controlled by the host

mineral structure and form stars (asterism) when cut and polished appropriately. Rutile occurs in

intrusive igneous rocks and is also common in metamorphic rocks, such as gneisses, schists, and

limestones.