Minerals

Rocks and Minerals:

Rocks are the building blocks of the Earth's crust and occur in different forms. It can be in solid form or can occur as semisolid forms like sand and clay or even occur in molten state as in the case of magma which is found beneath Earth's crust. They are divided into three categories namely igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic depending on the process behind its formation. This naturally occurring substance is made up of different types of minerals. Minerals are chemical substances and are found to have crystalline structure. There are thousands of minerals in the Earth of which the most common types are silicates, phosphates, oxides, sulphates and sulphides. In addition to these there are elements which appear in their pure forms like diamond, gold, silver, copper and graphite. Read further to learn more about the fascinating world of rocks and minerals by clicking on the links below.

Mineralogy and Crystallography

 * [|actinolite]
 * [|agate]
 * [|alabaster]
 * [|albite]
 * [|alundum]
 * [|amazonite]
 * [|amber]
 * [|amethyst]
 * [|amphibole]
 * [|anglesite]
 * [|anorthite]
 * [|anthophyllite]
 * [|apatite]
 * [|aquamarine]
 * [|arsenopyrite]
 * [|asbestos]
 * [|azurite]
 * [|barite]
 * [|barytes]
 * [|beryl]
 * [|biotite]
 * [|bituminous coal]
 * [|black lead]
 * [|bloodstone]
 * [|bog iron ore]
 * [|bort]
 * [|brown coal]
 * [|brown hematite]
 * [|calcite]
 * [|cannel coal]
 * [|carbonado]
 * [|carnelian]
 * [|cassiterite]
 * [|cat's-eye]
 * [|celestite]
 * [|cerussite]
 * [|chalcedony]
 * [|chalcopyrite]
 * [|chalybite]
 * [|chromite]
 * [|chrysoberyl]
 * [|chrysolite]
 * [|chrysotile]
 * [|cinnabar]
 * [|cleavage]
 * [|coal]
 * [|cobaltite]
 * [|copper pyrites]
 * [|cornelian]
 * [|corundum]
 * [|crude oil]
 * [|cryolite]
 * [|crystal]
 * [|cummingtonite]
 * [|diamond]
 * [|dogtooth spar]
 * [|dolomite]
 * [|emerald]
 * [|emery]
 * [|feldspar]
 * [|felspar]
 * [|fluorite]
 * [|fluorspar]
 * [|fool's gold]
 * [|galena]
 * [|garnet]
 * [|garnierite]
 * [|gem]
 * [|glaucophane]
 * [|graphite]
 * [|gypsum]
 * [|hardness]
 * [|heavy spar]
 * [|hematite]
 * [|hornblende]
 * [|Iceland spar]
 * [|ilmenite]
 * [|iron pyrites]
 * [|jade]
 * [|jadeite]
 * [|jasper]
 * [|kaolinite]
 * [|kieselguhr]
 * [|Koh-i-noor]
 * [|kryolite]
 * [|labradorite]
 * [|lapis lazuli]
 * [|lead glance]
 * [|lignite]
 * [|limonite]
 * [|loadstone]
 * [|lodestone]
 * [|magnesite]
 * [|magnetic pyrite]
 * [|magnetite]
 * [|malachite]
 * [|marcasite]
 * [|mica]
 * [|microcline]
 * [|mineral]
 * [|mispickel]
 * [|mocha stone]
 * [|molybdenite]
 * [|monazite]
 * [|moonstone]
 * [|morganite]
 * [|moss agate]
 * [|mother-of-pearl]
 * [|muscovite]
 * [|nacre]
 * [|nephrite]
 * [|obsidian]
 * [|olivine]
 * [|onyx]
 * [|oolite]
 * [|opal]
 * [|orthoclase feldspar]
 * [|pearl]
 * [|pentlandite]
 * [|peridotite]
 * [|petroleum]
 * [|pipestone]
 * [|pitchblende]
 * [|plagioclase feldspar]
 * [|plaster of Paris]
 * [|plumbago]
 * [|precious stone]
 * [|pyrite]
 * [|pyrolusite]
 * [|pyroxene]
 * [|pyrrhotite]
 * [|quartz]
 * [|quasicrystal]
 * [|riebeckite]
 * [|rock crystal]
 * [|ruby]
 * [|rutile]
 * [|sapphire]
 * [|satin spar]
 * [|scheelite]
 * [|semiprecious stone]
 * [|serpentine]
 * [|siderite]
 * [|smaltite]
 * [|spar]
 * [|sphalerite]
 * [|spinel]
 * [|stibnite]
 * [|stones, precious]
 * [|talc]
 * [|tanzanite]
 * [|tektite]
 * [|topaz]
 * [|tourmaline]
 * [|travertine]
 * [|tremolite]
 * [|tufa]
 * [|turquoise]
 * [|turtle stone]
 * [|uraninite]
 * [|variscite]
 * [|verd antique]
 * [|white iron pyrites]
 * [|wolframite]
 * [|X-ray crystallography]

Click below for links to some very good sites on minerals.

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