What is Minerals?

Properties of Minerals: (see Table 1, how to write physical property of minerals)

1. Colour

This is usually expressed as the main body colour of the mineral, along with the intensity
of this colour. Some minerals are of differing colour along different crystal axes, a
phenomenon called pleochroism (if the colour varies in two directions, the mineral is called
dichroic whereas if the colour varies in three directions the mineral is called trichroic).

Some minerals are always the same colour, such as copper minerals azurite (blue) and
malachite (green), but others can show a range of colours depending on different impurity
elements or structural defects in their crystal structure (for example fluorite, tourmaline,
quartz, corundum). For corundum, chromium causes the red colour in ruby, and iron and
titanium cause the blue colour in sapphire.

2. Lustre

This is the appearance of a mineral surface in reflected light:

 Metallic, Sub-metallic or Non-metallic

 Adamantine: the brightest, usually occurs in minerals with a high refractive index
(e.g. diamond)

 Resinous (e.g. sulfur)

 Vitreous: glass-like

 Pearly: slightly iridescent

  Silky: usually in fibrous minerals

 Waxy (e.g. chalcedony)

 Earthy: very dull lustre, usually in minerals with a rough surface

3. Hardness

This is the resistance of a mineral surface to scratching. This is a simple scale of relative
(not absolute) hardness ranging from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond). In absolute hardness,
corundum (9) is twice as hard as topaz (8) and diamond (10) is four times as hard as
corundum. It is a very simple test requiring the scratching of the unknown mineral against
a mineral of known hardness. However, minerals can be harder in different directions (e.g.
kyanite is softer along its long axis (hardness of 5) than across it (hardness of 7).)

Mohs' hardness scale

 4. Cleavage

This relates to the number, direction and intensity of development of regular-spaced

breakage directions of a mineral parallel to crystallographic planes. It reflects differing
strengths of atomic bonding in different directions in the internal atomic structure. It is
usually specified by its quality (perfect, good, fair, poor) and its direction.

Members of the mica group have one perfect basal cleavage.

Feldspars have two well-developed cleavages almost at right angles.

Some minerals lack cleavage (e.g. quartz, garnet) and instead have an irregular fracture
surface.

5. Streak

This is the colour of the powdered form of a mineral. It is a more reliable indication of a
mineral than its main body colour, as it is more constant.

It is usually tested by drawing the mineral across an unglazed porcelain tile (streak plate)
to leave a coloured streak. Hematite looks in black appearance gives red streak.

6. Tenacity

This is the toughness of a mineral. It is the way in which a mineral is mechanically

deformed:

 Fragile: easily broken by cleaving - kyanite; or fracturing- sulfur.

 Malleable: can be flattened into sheets without breaking (e.g. gold)

 Ductile: can be drawn-out into wires without breaking (e.g. copper)

 Sectile: can be cut with a blade into shavings (e.g. gypsum)

 Flexible: can be easily bent without breaking (e.g. molybdenite)

 Elastic: can be bent, and when released springs back to its original shape (e.g. micas)
 7. Magnetism

Some minerals can be strongly attracted (ferromagnetic), slightly attracted (paramagnetic)

or repelled (diamagnetic) by a magnet. The most common strongly magnetic minerals are
magnetite (iron oxide) and pyrrhotite (iron sulfide). Some magnetite can be a natural
magnet (lodestone) and can pick up small objects such as pins, or can act as a compass
needle to find north if floated on a piece of cork on water.

8. Fluorescence

Some minerals emits a distinctive colour under ultraviolet light (e.g the violet glow of
fluorite, the green glow of willemite, or the pink glow of manganese-bearing calcite). This
is usually performed by placing the mineral in an ultraviolet viewing box with a blackened
interior, in a darkened room. The colour can also vary according to whether the ultraviolet
radiation is long-wave or short-wave. Fluorescence is caused by small traces of impurity
elements (called activators) in the mineral’s crystal lattice.

9. Fracture

Fracture is the way a mineral breaks in directions other than cleavage planes, when the
strength of its internal atomic bonds is about the same in all directions. Fracture can be
conchoidal (curved), fibrous, splintery, hackly (jagged) or uneven.
10. Habit
 Table 1: Physical Property of Olivine

Occurrence and Uses of minerals

1. Olivine

Occurrence: Olivine is magmatic in origin and occurs in both mafic and ultramafic
igneous rocks. Dunite is the monomineralic rock which is totally made of olivine mineral.
It occurs in some metamorphic rocks as a primary mineral. It is uncommonly present in
sedimentary rocks due to its susceptible nature to weathering.

Uses: Olivine is less commonly used in industry. It is used in blast furnaces for removal of
impurities from iron. It is often used in metallurgical processes as a slag conditioner. The
minerals peridot and chrysolite are the precious transparent varieties of olivine which are
used as gemstones.

2. Augite

Occurrence: Augite is a common rock forming mineral mostly found in mafic and
ultramafic igneous rocks like basalt, gabbro, peridotite, etc. It is also found in diorite,
granodiorite and andesite. Iron-rich composition can appear even in syenite and alkali
granite. It is present in metamorphic rocks like amphibolite, hornblende gneiss, granulite.
Due to its susceptibility to weathering, it is uncommonly found in sedimentary rocks.

Uses: Augite is one of the few minerals which have less economic importance. But ‘Shajar’
a transparent variety of augite is used as gemstone.

3. Garnet

Occurrence: Garnet is a typical mineral found in metamorphic rocks and in few igneous
rocks, particularly granites and granitic pegmatites formed under conditions of high
temperature and pressure. The mineral almandine is commonly present in metamorphic
rocks and minerals such as pyrope and uvarovite are generally found in ultrabasic rocks
like kimberlite and peridotite. Garnet is present in clastic sedimentary rocks as heavy
fraction.

Uses: Garnet is used as a gemstone. Due to its hardness, absence of cleavage and affinity
to break into uneven grains makes the mineral more suitable for using it as an abrasive.

4. Hornblende

occurrence: Hornblende is a commonly occurring rock-forming mineral of igneous rocks

(granite, syenite, diorite, gabbro, basalt, andesite) and metamorphic rocks (gneiss, schist).
Hornblendite is a dark coloured rock typically formed with major constituent of hornblende
mineral.
Uses: Hornblende is a rarely used mineral. It is used in knowing the depth of formation of
plutonic rocks and as well as in mineral exploration.

5. Chlorite

Occurrence : They are found in all the three types of rocks such as igneous, metamorphic
and to a less extent in sedimentary rocks. They are found in the rocks formed by
hydrothermal activity or contact metamorphism. Chlorite occurs in low-grade schists of
metamorphic rocks. It is abundantly found as alteration product of biotite and other
ferromagnesium minerals in igneous rocks. It is also found in fraction of clay rich
sediments. It occurs in some sedimentary iron ores like chamosite (an iron-rich chlorite).
Uses: Commercially, the mineral chlorite has less importance. It is mostly used as a
crushed stone.

6. Kyanite

Occurrence: Kyanite mainly occurs in metamorphic rocks such as schists and gneisses. It
is also found in sedimentary rocks as detrital grains in heavy mineral fraction.

Uses: Mineral kyanite is used in the manufacture of grinding wheels and cutting wheels
due to its hardness. It is also used in the manufacture of ample variety of products such as
abrasives, insulators, ceramics and refractories. It is used as an index mineral to know the
different conditions like pressure, temperature and depth under which the rock as
undergone metamorphism. Some of its varieties are used as gemstones.