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What minerals make up emery?

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Emery is a granular rock composed primarily of a mixture of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide) and iron oxides, such as magnetite or hematite.1

In addition to these primary components, emery may also contain several other minerals, including:

  • Diaspore1
  • Gibbsite1
  • Margarite1
  • Chloritoid1
  • Sillimanite1

Due to its hardness, which measures approximately 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, this material has historically been valued as an abrasive for polishing and grinding applications.1