The name Rutile is derived from the Latin ‘rutilius’ meaning red.  Officially, it was discovered in 1803 by Werner in Spain, although it is highly likely that it was known about prior to this date. 

A piece of rutile

Rutile is mainly made up of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and is by far the most common of the three polymorphs of TiO₂ (namely rutile, anatase and brookite).  It is therefore the most important ore for titanium dioxide and titanium.

Rutile is present, as an accessory, in granite rocks, pegmatites, quartz veins, mica schists, gneisses, metamorphic limestones, amphibolites and dolomites.  It is often found in considerable quantities in black sands associated with magnetites, ilmenite, zircon and monazite.  Rutile usually occurs as fine acicular crystals in quartz, known as rutilated quartz (see picture below), or in pure mineral form (see above).

Notable deposits of Rutile, in various forms, are found in Minas Gerias (Mexico), Brazil, the Ural Mountains (Australia), the Swiss Alps (Switzerland and Austria), Norway and Georgia and Arkansas (USA).  The map below shows the distribution of these major sources across the globe.

Many companies all over the world mine rutile.  A picture of a rutile mine on an island off the gold coast of Australia is shown below.

Copyright © 2001 Andrew P.L. Robinson