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What is a Mineral?
A naturally
occurring,
inorganic solid
that has a
definite
chemical
composition
and/or crystal
structure
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Formation & Composition
Minerals come
from cooled
magma
2500 kinds of
minerals; some
are easy to find
and others are
rare.
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Mineral Properties
Each type of mineral has its own combination of properties that identify it. Some
of the properties are
Color
Many minerals come in a wide variety of colors. Different minerals can be the
same color. It is difficult to use just color to identify a mineral.
Streak
Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form. You can see a minerals streak by
rubbing a sample across an unglazed ceramic plate and observing the powder left
behind. Sometimes a minerals streak is very different from the color of the
sample.
Hardness
Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratching. Geologists use the Mohs'
hardness scale to seriate and compare mineral hardness.
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Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a given volume of a mineral to the weight
of an equal volume of water. Higher specific gravity means the mineral is heavier.
Cleavage
Cleavage is how a mineral breaks. Some minerals break in smooth, flat surfaces at
identifiable angles, such as calcite. Others fracture and produce no flat surfaces,
such as quartz.
Fracture
Fracture is how a mineral breaks when no cleavage surfaces form. For example,
quartz breaks in a pattern known as conchoidal fracture. Conchoidal fracture looks
like smooth, curved surfaces.
Luster
Luster is how a mineral reflects light or how it shines. Some ways to describe luster
include glassy or vitreous, metallic, dull, and pearly.
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Crystal form
Crystal form describes the geometric shape of a crystal. There are seven main
groups of crystal shapes, including cubic, hexagonal, and tetrahedral.
Transparency
Transparency describes how a mineral transmits light. Some minerals are
transparent (you can see through them); others are translucent (some light passes
through a sample) or opaque (no light passes through a sample).
Magnetism
Magnetism is a special property of some minerals, especially magnetite. Samples
are attracted by a magnet. Lodestone, a special form of magnetite, is a magnet
itself.
Reaction to acid
Some minerals react to acid. Calcite especially will fizz and bubble when it comes
in contact with an acid such as hydrochloric acid at room temperature.
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Identifying Minerals
Physical
Properties are
used to identify
minerals:
Color- always a
reliable way to
identify minerals.
However, color
can change do to
pollution, heat,
and cold
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Types
Idiochromatics:-Fairly constant colour(Copper Group of
minerals)
Allochromatic: Variable colour due to impurities(Mineral
Like Quartz, Calcite, Fluorite)
Pseudochromatic: Showing a false colour Simultaneous
reflection and refraction(Diamond)
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Luster
The way a mineral
reflects light from
its surface
Non-metallic
luster:
Dont have much
of a reflection;
known as glassy,
pearly, and dull
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Factors affects Lustre
The refractive index of a mineral
The absorption (of light) capacity of a minerals
The nature of reflecting surface
Metallic: Shine resembles as of Metals-Galena
Vitreous: Lustre of Glass-Quartz
Pearly: Shine resembles as of Pearl- Labradorite
Silky: Shine resembles as of Pure silk-Gypsum
Resinous: oily shine, waxy or greasy-Nepheline
Dull: Shine is almost absent-Chalk. Clay , Bauxite
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Streak
Color of powder
scraped off when
it is rubbed
against a hard,
rough surface
Streak may be a
different color
than the mineral
itself.
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Streak: colour of the fine powdered mineral
Determined by using a streak plate
Magnetite and chromite are almost black in colour
where as streak of magnetite is black and that of
Magnetite is brown
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Hardness
The ability to resist
being scratched
Most useful
properties for
identifying a mineral
Numbered 1-10.
1-Talc-softest
10-Diamond-
hardneest
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Cleavage & Fracture
Describe how the
mineral breaks along
flat surfaces. Ex:
Halite
Most minerals break
along a rough or
jagged surface. Ex:
Quartz
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Fracture
Even: Broken srface is
smooth-Chert
Uneven: Broken surface
is irregular surface-
Fluorite
Conchoidal: Broken
surface is having
concentric rings with
faint outline-Quartz
Splintry: Rough woody
fracture-Kyanite
Hackly:Irregular sharp
fine projections-Native
copper
Earthy: Surface is
smooth and soft and
porous-Chalk
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Tenacity
(Behaviour towards Break, bend, cut or crush)
Sectile: Cut with a knife
Malleable: Can be flattened by a hammer
Brittleness: Change to fine grain or powder
under a knife or a hammer
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Minerals have a crystal
shape that results
from the way the
atoms or molecules
come together as the
mineral is forming
Crystal Shape
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Structure of a Mineral
(Physical make up of a mineral)
Tabular: Mineral in the form of flattened,
square, rectangle (Calcite, orthoclase, barite)
Elongated: Mineral is in the form of a thin or
thick elongated, column-like crystals. (Beryl,
Quartz, Hornblende)
Bladed: Mineral appears to be composed of
thin, flat , bladed like overlapping. (Kyanite)
Lamellar: Mineral made up of relatively thick,
flexible, leaf-like sheets.(Vermiculite)
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Foliated: similar to lamellar in boarder sense but
individual sheets are thin. (Muscovite)
Fibrous: Mineral composed of Fibres, generally
separable easily or with a little difficulty. (Asbestos &
Gypsum)
Radiated: needle like crystal appears to originating
from a common point. (iron pyrite)
Granular: densely packed mass of small crystal
grains(Chromite)
Globular: Botroiydal, rounded, bulb-like overlapping,
(Hematite)
Reniform: Globular similar to human kidney shape(H)
Mammillary: Globular form, conspicuous overlapping
with each other(malachite)
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Special Properties
Magnetite: Naturally
magnetic
Halite:
Tastes salty
Sulfur:
Smells like rotten eggs
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13.3: Uses of Minerals
Minerals are raw
materials used for
a wide variety of
products from
dyes to dishes and
from table salt to
televisions
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Some minerals
Quartz Feldspar
Fluorite Magnetite
Hornblende Gypsum
Calcite Biotite
Copper Hematite
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GROUPS
Silicate
Pyroxene
Amphibole
Mica
Feldspar
olivine
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Physical Properties of
Clear Quartz

Alpha Quartz or High Quartz (describes Quartz

stable at normal room conditions
Environment : develops in a wide variety of
environments, igneous, metamorphic,
hydrothermal

Transparency: Transparent to opaque

Luster: Most specimens have a vitreous luster;
Some yellow or brown are resinous; Earthy
specimens are dull; Very rare varieties have an
adamantine luster
Other Marks for identification purposes: Many
specimens fluoresce; All specimens are
triboluminescent and piezoelectric
Striking Features: Hardness, crystal forms,
striations on crystal faces, and frequent
appearance of conchoidal fractures on crystal
faces.
Complex Tests: Dissolves in hydrofluoric acid
Distinguishing from Similar Minerals: Beryl is
harder (7 - 8), without the horizontal striations
of Quartz; Feldspar is a softer stone (6), with
perfect cleavage; Calcite is very soft (3)
Typical Cutting Styles---Faceted, cabochons
Hardness: 7.0 on Moh's Scale
Index of refraction: 1.544-
1.553
Birefringence: 0.009
Streak: White
Spec. Grav.: 2.5 - 2.7
Crystal: Hexagonal (prisms,
pyramidal)
Fracture: Conchoidal
Cleavage : none
Tenacity: Brittle
In Group: Silicates;
Tectosiliates; Silica Group: or
as an oxide by a few
references
Other Names: Silica (describes
Quartz, Chalcedony, and Opal)
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Varieties of Quartz
Other than Clear Quartz, Quartz occurs as
Amethyst, Aventurine, Citrine, Carnelian,
Herkimer Diamonds, Jasper, Onyx, Rose Quartz,
Rutilated Quartz, Smoky Quartz and
Tourmalinated Herkimer Diamonds are Quartz
crystals with double terminations and
Tourmalinated Quartz contains hairs of
Tourmaline crystals, but both are minor Quartz
family members.
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Quartz Calcite
Comments: Purple-colored druse of amethystine quartz and white calcite.
Location: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Scale: Sample size 20 cm.
Quartz Chalcopyrite
Comments: Well-formed crystals of chalcopyrite and quartz.
Location: Boldut mine, 61 level (350 meters deep), Cavnic, Maramures,
Rumania. Scale: 5.5 x 3.5 cm.
Quartz Ilvaite
Comments: Black, prismatic ilvaite with quartz.
Location: First Sovietskij mine, Dalnjegorsk, Russia. Scale: 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
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Images:
Quartz
Comments: Crystal druse of transparent quartz crystals.
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. Scale: Specimen size 6 cm.
Images:
Quartz Apatite-(CaF)
Comments: Purple crystal of fluorapatite on slightly smoky quartz crystals. Former Dr. E.E. David and
Houston Museum collections.
Location: Pech, Kunar Province, Nuristan, Afghanistan. Scale: Crystal size 3.0 x 2.1 x 1.7 cm.
Images:
Quartz Epistilbite
Comments: White epistilbite cluster 25 mm across on amethyst quartz crystal matrix.
Location: Sawda, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India. Scale: 10x8x5 cm.
Images:
Quartz
Comments: Slightly smokey quartz overgrown with rose quartz. Note the exceptional transparency of
the rose quartz.
Location: Lavra da Ilha, Taquaral, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: 10 cm by 5.2 cm.
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Feldspar
KAlSi
3
O
8
- Orthoclase
KAlSi
3
O
8
- Microcline
NaAlSi
3
O
8
- CaAl
2
Si
2
O
8
- Plagioclase
In the manufacture of high-class, colourless
glass, feldspar should have a maximum of
0.1% Fe
2
O
3
though upto 0.3% is permissible.
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Colour

Orthoclase - usually light colored white, pink, yellow, or

cream, and not transparent. The gem variety is clear to pale
yellow, and some called "noble orthoclase"
Microcline - white, pink, pale yellow, or sometimes green-
blue, and not transparent. The green-blue variety is called
"amazonite"
Plagioclase - gray to grayish-white is common, but may also
be white, pink or pale yellow. More semi-opaque than the
other feldspars on average, and contains striations on some
crystal faces or cleavage surfaces.
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Hardness
6-6.5
Environment
The feldspars make up the major constituent of many
igneous and metamorphic rocks, they form at medium to
high temperature and at some depth. Microcline can form
in granite pegmatites and at lower temperatures.
Associated
Quartz
Other feldspars
Hornblende
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Luster: vitreous to semi vitreous.
Sp. Gravity:2.56-2.58
Cleavage: 2sets
Varities: Adularia- transparent varieties.
Sanidine- ahigh temperature variety(stable over 900 C)
Composition: K Al Si
3
O
8
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classification
Potash feldspar:
Orthoclase
Sanidine
microcline
Sodalime-feldspar:
Albite labradorite
Oligoclase Bytwonite
Andesine anorthite
Crystallographically:
monoclinic
Orthoclase
Sanidine
Triclinic
Microcline
Albite-anorthite
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Feldspar is generally used for three purposes
In making the body composition of several
types of procelain, china and earthenware and
also in the preparation of glazes and enamel.
As an important ingredient in the glass sand
batch.
As a bonding agent in the manufacture of
bonded abrasives like wheels and discs of
garnet, corundum, emery etc.
The glass and ceramic industries are the major
consumers of feldspar and account for 95% of
the total consumption.
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Feldspar is used in varying proportions in porcelain, china
and earthenware. Earthenware contains on an average
12% feldspar
25% ball clay
28% china-clay
35% quartz
This proportion of feldspar varies in different products like
Wall tile -5%
Floor tile -30%
Statutory porcelain -50%
Sanitary china and prodelain bodies -30%
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