Chromite

The only ore of chromium: a heavy black oxide found in ultramafic rocks.

Chromite specimen — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify chromite

Black, heavy grains or layers in dark rock.
Brown streak.
Weakly magnetic at most.

Often confused with

Magnetite
Magnetite is strongly magnetic with a black streak.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Bushveld Complex, South Africa
Kazakhstan
Odisha, India
Turkey

Uses

Stainless steel, chrome plating and pigments.

Rock tumbling

Can be tumbled with care.

Did you know?

Chromium's name comes from Greek chroma, 'color', because its compounds are so colorful.

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