Pronunciation: DOUGH•low•might
Color: usually flesh pink, but also colorless, white, gray, green or black
Luster: vitreous
Diaphaneity: translucent; may appear opaque in larger specimens
Hardness: 3.5-4
Specific gravity: 2.85
Cleavage/fracture: 3 directions oblique to one another
Other distinguishing properties: Dolomite is a magnesium calcium carbonate that is closely related to calcite. Dolomite will effervesce (fizz) weakly in dilute hydrochloric acid applied to the surface of a larger crystal. Effervescence will be slightly stronger if the acid is applied to a ground-up powder of dolomite. The crystals are rhombs whose faces are generally curved.
Klein, C., and Hurlbut, C.S., Jr., 1999, Manual of Mineralogy (after James D. Dana) [21st edition, revised]: New York, John Wiley & Sons, 682 p.
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, The Photo Atlas of Minerals: nhm.org/pam/
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