Bright red inesite with orange prehnite from N'Chwanning II Mine, Kuruman, Kalahari Manganese Field, North Cape, South Africa
Inesite from Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, USA
Inesite with yellow hubeite from Fengjishan Mine (Daye Copper Mine), Edong Mining District, Daye County, Huangshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China
Brown Inesite from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Inesite on top of orlymanite from Wessels Mine, Hotazel, Kalahari Manganese field, Northern Cape, South Africa
| Inesite | |
|---|---|
 Inesite Crystals from Fengjishan Mine (Daye Copper Mine), Edong Mining District, Daye County, Huangshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China. | |
| General | |
| Category | Inosilicates |
| Formula | Ca2Mn7Si10O28(OH)2•5(H2O) |
| IMA symbol | Ins |
| Strunz classification | 09.DL.05 |
| Dana classification | 66.3.3.1 |
| Crystal system | Triclinic |
| Space group | P1 (no.2) |
| Identification | |
| Color | Rose red, pink, orange-pink, orange-red-brown |
| Crystal habit | Massive, fibrous, radial, spherical |
| Cleavage | Perfect |
| Fracture | Irregular/Uneven |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 5.5 - 6 |
| Luster | Vitreous, Silky |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Translucent |
| Specific gravity | 3.0 |
| Ultraviolet fluorescence | Non-fluorescent |
| Common impurities | Fe, Al, Mg, K |
| References | |
Inesite is a hydrous calcium manganese silicate mineral. Its chemical formula is Ca2Mn7Si10O28(OH)2•5(H2O). Inesite is an inosilicate with a triclinic crystal system. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6, and a specific gravity of 3.0. Its name originates from the Greek Ίνες (ines), "fibers" in allusion to its color and habit.
