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Which minerals are important sources of magnesium?

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magnesium processing Vapor-deposited magnesium crystals produced from magnesium processing.

Magnesium is a highly reactive element that does not occur in a native state; instead, it is extracted from various minerals, brines, and seawater. The most significant mineral sources used in magnesium processing include:1

Dolomite: A carbonate mineral composed of magnesium and calcium carbonates ( $M g C O_{3} \cdot C a C O_{3}$ ). It is a primary raw material often used in thermal reduction processes.12
Magnesite: A magnesium carbonate mineral ( $M g C O_{3}$ ) that serves as a principal source of the element.13
Brucite: A less common hydroxide mineral with the chemical formula $M g (O H)_{2}$ .1
Carnallite: A halide mineral ( $M g C l_{2} \cdot K C l \cdot 6 H_{2} O$ ) that has historically been used in the electrolytic production of magnesium.145

In addition to these minerals, magnesium is recovered from naturally occurring brines and is abundantly available in seawater, which serves as an almost inexhaustible source for industrial extraction.14