Minerals

Created by: millie watts
Created on: 26-04-11 14:16

Quartz

Colour: Colourless
Cleavage: 0
Hardness: 7
Density (heft): 2.65
Streak: None/white
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Dog tooth spar to massive
Crystal Shape: Hexagonal
Other: Demonstrates Conchoidal Fracture, second most abundant mineral after feldspar in the crust

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Calcite

Colour: None, white tints
Cleavage: 3 good, not 90⁰
Hardness: 3
Density (heft): 2.71
Streak: White
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Crystalline/Massive / Rhombic
Crystal Shape: Tri/Hexagonal
Other: Effervesces with HCl, rhombic shape. Largest ever crystal found in Iceland (7x7x2m) and weighed 250 tonnes

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Olivine

Colour: Olive Green
Cleavage: None/Conchoidal
Hardness: 6-7
Density (heft): 3.2-4.3
Streak: Scratches plate
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Massive/ Granular
Crystal Shape: Orthombic
Other: Melts at 1200 to 1900® and is a potential medium to capture Carbon from the Atmosphere

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Muscovite

Colour: Silver
Cleavage: 1 perfect
Hardness: 2.5
Density (heft): 2.7
Streak: White
Lustre: Pearly
Crystal Habit: Platy/Massive
Crystal Shape: Monoclinic
Other: Flaky, largest ever sheet found in India and measured 5m x 3m. Name comes from Russia where sheets were used in place of glass and it was known as Muscovy glass

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Example

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0_XvYKGbbcU0kN-92eSJ-LlqRNuigfB5M0yzQBO8eotHRW0z0)

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Example

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_JMmkCsCcRN9soUTxxOCj3QgBKZs11xxi9ys7Jk891yh396vn)

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Example

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT2XpPaceE31WmitBIAQwnW8XD60BiT5hy6r3G6JN0l29NZs5A1) (http://www.mineralmasterpiece.com/images/Specimens/P1/MMB-567_Muscovite.jpg)

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Example

(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS811OapocPxxOSTGUXn7oPKH5cjowD2lMPeGBgIeSPhp7Ago10bexQ69GT)

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Biotite

Colour: Black/Brown
Cleavage: 1 perfect
Hardness: 2.5-3
Density (heft): 2.7-3
Streak: White
Lustre: Pearly
Crystal Habit: Platy/Massive
Crystal Shape: Monoclinic
Other: Flaky, Named after French Physicist Jean Baptiste Biot who discovered many of its optical properties.

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Haematite

Colour: Red/Black/Grey
Cleavage: Poor
Hardness: 5.5-6.5
Density (heft): 4.9-5.3
Streak: Cherry Red
Lustre: Dull Metallic
Crystal Habit: Botryoidal
Crystal Shape: Tri/Hexagonal
Other: Sometimes fibrous, often forms kidney shaped masses, main use is Iron Ore but also used as a pigment. Name is from Greek “Haimatites Lithes” – Blood Red Stone.

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Hornblende

Colour: Black-Green
Cleavage: 2 good @ 120
Hardness: 5-6
Density (heft): 3.0-3.5
Streak: Brown/grey
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Granular/hexagonal
Crystal Shape: Monoclinic
Other: forms prismatic crystals, often confused with Biotite and Augite. Found in Igneous and Metamorphic rocks.

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Augite

Colour: Greenish Black
Cleavage: 2 good @ 90
Hardness: 5-6
Density (heft): 3.2-3.5
Streak: Scratches
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Prismatic
Crystal Shape: Monoclinic
Other: Forms prismatic Crystals, name comes from Greek “Augites” meaning “Brightness” as they are generally Shiny.

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Example

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSv-p-xVBATPlGieDpjdCaXd55btRX1uqQWiZbTEzpmuChek_Ho)

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Example

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtLQKZlqHrnlR5YNQMyOHbbZan7p39P6lJ62vSCc_fYwPT5zLq)

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Example

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQN9D42mb-bosXJrWFjU-TMTdl2BhtOqw6JMOht2o1aXNDuc9B9JA)

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Example

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqpaR_bZdRZX75eQG14pC5nb3j_amY5FP2jvrtM4bokbw4Pw4N) (http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTT7rggW35SWXrOEpLikb2wSkQ1zqdOe8OHoJNIC9cxrysRckf1dg)

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Galena

Colour: Lead Grey
Cleavage: 3 good @ 90
Hardness: 2.5
Density (heft): 7.5
Streak: Lead Grey
Lustre: Metallic
Crystal Habit: Tabular
Crystal Shape: Cubic
Other: Natural mineral form of Lead Sulphide, main form of Lead Ore. Often found with Sphalerite, Calcite and Flourite

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Chalcopyrite

Colour: Brassy Yellow
Cleavage: Poor
Hardness: 4
Density (heft): 4.2
Streak: Black
Lustre: Metallic
Crystal Habit: Massive/Botryoidal
Crystal Shape: Tetragonal
Other: Tarnishes to Peacock colours. Often confused with Pyrite but is a darker Yellow with a greenish tinge and a more greasy lustre

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Flourite

Colour: None/Purple/ Yellow/Green
Cleavage: 4 Good
Hardness: 4
Density (heft): 2-3
Streak: White
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Well-formed/nodular
Crystal Shape:Cubic
Other: Fluoresces in UV, Found in veins, name from Latin “Fluo” “To flow” as it makes **** flow freely and gave name to Fluorescence

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Barite

Colour: White/Pink
Cleavage: 2 good @ 90
Hardness: 3-3.5
Density (heft): 4.5
Streak: White
Lustre: Vitreous/Resinous
Crystal Habit: Tabular/Fibrous
Crystal Shape: Orthombic
Other: Forms bladed crystals, often spelt as Baryte in the UK, name comes from Greek for “Heavy”

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Example

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Example

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHE-QNDK7yabMQ0J4ENC_JMGb7tpb2bsr5KnFomr8o2J8976sMJSA51XE6Pg)

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Example

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Orthoclase

Colour: Pink/Flesh
Cleavage: 2 good @ 90
Hardness: 6-7
Density (heft): 2.6
Streak: Scratches
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Tabular
Crystal Shape: Monoclinic
Other: Simple twins common, normally an Anhedral or Euhedral crystal found in Granites and Felsic Igneous rocks and Pegmatites.

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Plagioclase

Colour: Creamy White
Cleavage: 2 good @ 90
Hardness: 6
Density (heft): 2.7
Streak: Scratches
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Tabular
Crystal Shape:Triclinic
Other: Repeated Multiple twinning common

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Talc

Colour: White/Grey/ Green/Blue
Cleavage: 1 perfect Basal
Hardness: 1
Density (heft): 2.6-2.8
Streak: White/Pearly Green
Lustre: Waxy/Pearly
Crystal Habit: Foliated/Fibrous
Crystal Shape: Mono/Triclinic
Other: Widely used in cosmetics and the softest mineral known

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Diamond

Colour: None/Brown/Grey
Cleavage: 4 perfect in an Octahedral shape
Hardness: 10
Density (heft): 3.5-3.53
Streak: Scratches
Lustre: Adamantine
Crystal Habit: Octahedral
Crystal Shape: Cubic
Other: It takes between 1 and 3.3 Billion years for Diamonds to grow, and they form at over 140km under the surface, they are brought up but volcanic conduits

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Example

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGQePGjV8gunwMS6Kyq0hwrFQo5rwuME8_0SI1p4xcWn-oHjWdlw)

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Example

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTk2tX4DWvkr9kGfVVA8oG9kQydwomXmdWO27_XQhS7THUIZPti) (http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRbV0P2U8lj_hCXhwZBVFTr47eNWKfLZV8imt22NwzsadYGpJFm)

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Example

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpZc2RKCuszguyQ2jg9Eo-AUNjvlnkRaKhNrYbph1pjPQ3aKZD8g)

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Example

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzJYTGzr29Z8LXchgmo_CDFYg20q0rvghe8SVcb8WclSNkKje-bQ)

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Gypsum

Colour: White/Stained
Cleavage: 1 good
Hardness: 1.5-2
Density (heft): 2.3
Streak: White
Lustre: Silky/Pearly
Crystal Habit: Massive/Elongate /Flat/ Prismatic
Crystal Shape: Cubic
Other: Fibrous/Twinned crystals common, part of the MGHP sequence, used as plaster in early Paris, hence name “Plaster of Paris”

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Halite

Colour: None/White
Cleavage: 3 good @ 90
Hardness: 2.5
Density (heft): 2.2
Streak: White
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Cubes/Granular /Fibrous
Crystal Shape: Cubic
Other: Tastes Salty, exists as a Salt Glacier in Iran and often found with Petroleum deposits

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Garnet

Colour: Red/Brown
Cleavage: None
Hardness: 6.5-7.5
Density (heft): 3.5-4.3
Streak: Scratches
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Dodecahedra
Crystal Shape: Cubic
Other: forms 12 sided crystals, can be almost any colour, rarest form is Blue from Madagascar. Name comes from Middle English “Gernet” (Dark Red) or Punica Granatum (The Pomegranate)

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Chiastolite/Andalusite

Colour: Pearl Grey/Pink
Cleavage: Poor
Hardness: 7.5
Density (heft): 3.1-3.3
Streak: Scratches
Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal Habit: Euhedral/Fibrous /Massive
Crystal Shape: Orthombic
Other: Forms Needle shaped crystals with a square cross section and distinctive dark cross in the centre made from inclusions

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Example

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Example

(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSE0QOf-FpyQ9XweLk6WbMemEKDpQ6VoNNtMNnvkke43HH_uOdG)

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Example

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQE6m5uslv7DggCKcm99N3RW0TkedDnSUfxCMCec4q5zYvUNpWz)

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Example

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREJmdPLn4n4mLd6QKxqEMSllxhNGOvlkh61ZUY7CDoRdy57ySU5Rqxqzl0iA)

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Native Gold

Colour: Gold/Rich Yellow
Cleavage: None
Hardness: 2.5-3
Density (heft): 15-19.3
Streak: Shining Yellow
Lustre: Metallic
Crystal Habit: Octahedra/Cubes /Dendritic
Crystal Shape: Isometric
Other: Malleable, does not tarnish easily. 75% of all gold ever naturally produced has been extracted since 1910

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Native Silver

Colour: Silver
Cleavage: None
Hardness: 2.5-3
Density (heft): 10.49
Streak: Silver-White
Lustre: Metallic
Crystal Habit: Cubic/Dendritic
Crystal Shape: Isometric
Other: Tarnishes to Black, used for Jewellery, tableware and disinfecting water and food as well as in medicine.

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Native Copper

Colour: Copper Red
Cleavage: None
Hardness: 2.5-3
Density (heft): 8.95
Streak: Copper Red
Lustre: Metallic
Crystal Habit: Varied/Octahedra
Crystal Shape: Isometric
Other: Weathers to green, name is from Greek “Kypnos” (Cyprus) which is one of the oldest copper mines in the world

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Pyrite

Colour: Pale Brass Yellow
Cleavage: Indistinct
Hardness: 6-6.5
Density (heft): 4.95-5.1
Streak: Green Black/Brown
Lustre: Metallic
Crystal Habit: Cubes/Octahedra
Crystal Shape: Cubic
Other: Smells of rotten eggs when smashed, also known as Fools Gold, name comes from Greek “Purites” (of fire) as it sparks when hit

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Example

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR52ViDuknpAarAqJHupSAYy0hJP5FLOQ5O_q1azaoh3j81nA8g)

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Example

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpOOnmp3R2CPtTJKxjRqmZLtlYHtuecBTF0kS4jafVI2pWQVUTpw) (http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGPc475eEY_FoAuSxvtzQzyAUJPmBW0klfTuzy3KbYapBOYSC0ww)

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Example

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROPHUB3YASRkwmfpRZSXety5qRZszmayfSULIF9urL1Z-D9nGk) (http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTEfLtkCT6Tnc4zNpayeOgkBnDtuNsuvs4y9d9mE6Y84_M9Otoa)

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Example

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXFTmV5DtaomWhO4tXUfvEXyr_TJtwqfpMJdIQW6Vjq0r0uUqo)

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Quartz

Calcite

Olivine

Muscovite

Example

Example

Example

Example

Biotite

Haematite

Hornblende

Augite

Example

Example

Example

Example

Galena

Chalcopyrite

Flourite

Barite

Example

Example

Example

Orthoclase

Plagioclase

Talc

Diamond

Example

Example

Example

Example

Gypsum

Halite

Garnet

Chiastolite/Andalusite

Example

Example

Example

Example

Native Gold

Native Silver

Native Copper

Pyrite

Example

Example

Example

Example

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