MINERALS

COMMON – ROCK FORMING MINERALS

GROUP DESCRIPTION MINERAL / COMPOSITION
Native Found in naturally Carbon ( diamond, graphite ),
Elements fine form Gold, Silver, Sulfur, Copper,
Platinum
Silicates Largest group of Feldspar, SiO₂
minerals; made from Olivine, ( Fe,Mg)₂SiO₄
metals combined Garnet, Fe₃Al₂SiO₁₂
with silicon and Pyroxene
oxygen

Oxides Form from the Hematite, Fe₂O₃

combination of Magnetite.Fe₃O₄
metal with oxygen Corundum,Al₂O₃
Chromate,FeCr₂O₄

Sulfides Made of compounds Pyrite,FeS₂

of Sulfur with a Galena,PbS
metal Cinnabar,HgS
Sphalerite,(Zn,Fe)S
COMMON – ROCK FORMING MINERALS
GROUP DESCRIPTION MINERAL /
COMPOSITION
Sulfates Made of compounds of Gypsum, CaSO₄.2H₂O
sulfur combined with Barite, BaSO₄
metals and oxegen
Halides Form from halogen Halite,NaCl
(F,Cl,Br,I ) combined with Fluorite, CaF₂
metallic elements
Carbonates Made of carbon, oxygen, Calcite, CaCO₃
and metallic elements Dolomite,CaMg(CO₃)₂
Phosphates Made of phosphorus, Apatite,Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,Cl,OH)
oxygen and metallic Turquoise,
elements CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈.4H₂O
Hydroxides Form from hydroxyl(OH) Bauxite, Al(OH)₃.nH₂O
in combination with Limonite,FeO(OH).nH₂O
metal
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
LUSTER
STREAK
HARDNESS
CLEAVAGE
COLOR
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
LUSTER refers to the way light
reflects from the surface of the
mineral.

There are two types of luster,

Metallic: looks like polished metal.
Nonmetallic: does not look like
polished metal.
Nonmetallic can be shiny or dull.
 Pyrite has
metallic luster

Quartz has
nonmetallic
luster
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

STREAK refers to the color of

powdered mineral
Useful in distinguishing
metallic minerals that look
very similar
Nonmetallic minerals
generally have a colorless or
white streak
 Gold
When gold is run
across a streak
plate it makes a
yellowish-gold color.

Pyrite or “Fool’s Gold”

When pyrite is run

across a streak plate, it
has a black or dark
green streak.
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
HARDNESS is defined as a
mineral’s ability to resist
scratching or abrasion.
Mineral hardness is determined by
comparing the relative hardness
of an unknown specimen with an
index mineral or other matter with
known hardness
 Moh’s Scale of Hardness
Index Scale Common
Mineral Objects
Diamond 10
Corundum 9
Topaz 8
Quartz 7 Steel file (6.5)
Orthoclase 6
Apatite 5 Glass ( 5.5 )
Fluorite 4 Knife blade ( 5.1 )
Calcite 3 Wire nail ( 4.5 )
Gypsum 2 Penny ( 3.5 )
Talc 1 Fingernail ( 2.5 )
Gypsum is soft, it
can be scratched
by a fingernail.

Calcite is soft, but a

little harder because it
cannot be scratched by
a fingernail, but it can
be scratched by a
penny.
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
CLEAVAGE is the tendency of
the mineral to split, or cleave,
along plates of weakness
Mica has Feldspar has two
cleavage in one
lines of cleavage.
direction.
It breaks along
It breaks along
one line. two lines.
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

COLOR is caused by mineral’s

absorption of visible light.
Color is diagnostic for some
minerals
A mineral can be many different
colors. Below is Mica.
Many minerals can be the same color. Below are
gold colored minerals. Which one is gold?