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Minerals
can be organized, mainly according to their
chemistry, into the following classes:
- Native
Elements Class The
Metals and their alloys and the Nonmetals.
- Sulfides
Class:
Sulfides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides,
Antimonides, Bismuthinides, Sulfosalts.
- Oxides
and Hydroxides Class:
Oxides, Hydroxides.
- Halides
Class:
Fluorides, Chlorides, Iodides.
- Carbonates
Class:
Carbonates, Borates, Nitrates, Rare
Earth Carbonates.
- Sulfates
Class:
Sulfates, Sulfites, Chromates, Molybdates,
Selenates, Selenites, Tellurates, Tellurites,
Tungstates
- Phosphates
Class:
Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates, Antimonates.
- Silicates
Class:
(the largest class) Nesosilicates,
Sorosilicates, Cyclosilicates, Inosilicates,
Phyllosilicates, Tektosilicates, Unclassified
Silicates
- Organics
Class:
"Minerals"
composed of organic chemicals
More
information on the Mineral Classifications:
- Native
Elements Class:
The Metals and their alloys and the
Nonmetals.
Examples: Aluminum, Antimony,
Arsenic, Copper, Diamond, Gold, Graphite,
Iron, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Platinum,
Silver, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Zinc.
- Sulfides
Class:
Sulfides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides,
Antimonides, Bismuthinides, Sulfosalts.
Most
major ores of important metals such
as copper, lead and silver are sulfides.
Most sulfides are metallic, opaque,
soft to average in hardness and they
have high densities, and an igneous
origin. But, there are a few vitreous
and transparent members such as Cinnabar,
Orpiment and Realgar.
Subclass:
Sulfides
Examples:
Cinnabar,
Galena, Marcasite, Millerite, Orpiment,
Pyrite, Realgar, Sphalerite, Stibnite.
Subclass:
Sulfosalts:
Examples:
Proustite,
Pyrargarite, Tetrahedrite.
- Halides
Class:
Fluorides, Chlorides, Iodides.
The
halides are a group of minerals whose
principle anions are halogens.
Examples:
Boleite,
Carnallite, Fluorite, Halite, Sylvite,
Villiaumite.
- Oxides
Class:
Oxides, Hydroxides.
The oxide class
of minerals is a very diverse class.
It includes minerals that are quite
hard (corundum) and some that are quite
soft such as cuprite. It has metallic
minerals such as hematite and gemstones
such as corundum, chrysoberyl and spinel.
Examples:
Anatase,
Bixbyite, Brookite, Chrysoberyl, Corundum
(Ruby, Sapphire), Cuprite, Hematite,
Pyrochlore Groupe (Betafite, Microlite,
Pyrochlore), Rutile Group (Cassiterite,
Pyrolusite, Rutile), Senarmontite, Spinel
Group (Chromite, Franklinite, Gahnite,
Magnetite, Spinel), Taaffeite, Vallentinite,
Zincite
Subclass: Hydroxides
Examples:
Brucite,
Goethite, Manganite.
- Carbonates
Class:
Carbonates, Borates, Nitrates, Rare
Earth Carbonates.
Typical carbonates
are transparent, lightly colored, average
to above average in density, soft with
good to perfect cleavage, and tend to
originate in sedimentary and oxidizing
environments with the exception of carbonatite
igneous intrusions.
Examples:
Azurite, Aragonite
Group (Aragonite, Cerussite, Strontianite,
Witherite), Calcite Group (Calcite,
Gaspeite, Magnesite, Rhodochrosite,
Siderite, Smithsonite), Dolomite, Malachite,
Stitchtite, Weloganite.
Subclass:
Borates
Examples:
Borax,
Colemanite, Howlite, Kernite, Ulexite.
Subclass:
Rare
Earth Carbonates
Examples: Bastnasite,
Burbankite, Parisite.
- Sulfates
Class:
Sulfates, Sulfites, Chromates, Molybdates,
Selenates, Selenites, Tellurates, Tellurites,
Tungstates (or the Wolframates).
The
typical Sulfate Class mineral is vitreous,
average to above average in density,
average in hardness and are originally
formed in veins, oxidation zones, contact
metamorphic zones and in evaporite deposits.
Examples:
Anhydrite,
Barite Group (Anglesite, Barite, Celestite),
Caledonite, Creedite, Glauberite, Goetite,
Gypsum (& Alabaster), Hanksite,
Thaumasite.
Subclass: Chromates
Examples:
Crocoite.
Subclass:
Molybdates
Examples:
Powellite, Wulfenite.
Subclass:
Tungstates
Examples:
Hubnerite, Scheelite,
Wolframite.
- Phosphates
Class:
Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates, Antimonates.
The
typical phosphate is vitreous to dull,
often strongly colored, above average
in density, average in hardness (4-7)
and low in index of refraction unless
ions such as lead are present.
Examples:
Amblygonite,
Anapatite, Apatite Group (Apatite, Mimetite,
Pyromorphite, Vinadinite), Augelite,
Beryllonite, Brazilianite, Eosphorite,
Herderite, Lazulite, Ludlamite, Monazite,
Montbrasite, Phosphophyllite, Purpurite,
Triphylite, Turquoise, Vivianite, Xenotime.
Subclass:
Arsenates
Examples:
Adamite,
Erythrite, Legrandite, Mimetite, Olivinenite,
Scorodite.
Subclass: Vanadites
Examples:
Carnotite,
Vanadinite.
- Silicates
Class:
(the largest class) Nesosilicates,
Sorosilicates, Inosilicates, Cyclosilicates,
Phyllosilicates, Tectosilicates
The
silicates are the largest, most interesting
and most complicated class of minerals
by far. Approximately 30% of all minerals
are silicates and some geologists estimate
that 90% of the Earth's crust is made
up of silicates.
Subclass:
Nesosilicates (single
tetrahedrons)
Examples:
Andalusite,
Datolite, Euclase, Fayalite, Garnet
Group, Jadeite (Pyroxene Group), Kyanite,
Olivine (Peridot), Phenakite, Sillimanite,
Sphene, Staurolite, Topaz, Willemite,
Zircon.
Subclass:
Sorosilicates
(double tetrahedrons)
Examples: Danburite,
Epidote
group (Allanite, Epidote, Clinozoisite,
Tanzanite, Zoisite), Hemimorphite, Idocrase
(Vesuvianite).
Subclass: Inosilicates
(single and double chains)
Examples:
Amphibole Group (Actinolite,
Edenite, Tremolite),
Pyroxene
Group (Aegirine, Augite, Diopside, Enstatite,
Hypersthene, Jadeite, Spodumene), Neptunite,
Rhodonite, Serandite.
Subclass:
Cyclosilicates
(rings)
Examples: Axinite,
Benitoite, Beryl, Iolite (Cordierite,
Dichroite), Dioptase, Eudyalite, Milarite,
Tourmaline Group, Sugilite.
Subclass:
Phyllosilicates
Examples:
Apophyllite,
Cavansite, Chrysocolla, Chlorite Group
(Chlorite, Clinochlor, Kaemmererite),
Lepidolite, Prehnite, Pyrophyllite,
Serpentite.
Subclass: Tektosilicates
(frameworks)
Examples: Danburite,
Feldspar Group (Amazonite, Andesine,
Anorthite, Bytownite, Labradorite, Microline,
Oligoclase, Orthoclase, Plagioclase,
Sanadine), Feldspathoid Group (Cancrinite,
Leucite), Petalite, Linarite, Quartz,
Scapolite, Sodalite Group (Hauyne, Lazurite,
Sodalite), Zeolite Group (Chabazite,
Natrolite, Pollucite, Scolecite, Stilbite,
Thomsonite, Yugawaralite).
- The
Organics Class:
"Minerals"
composed of organic chemicals
The
Organics Class covers minerals that
have an organic chemical component in
their formulas. Organics Class "Minerals"
do not adhere to the four rules defining
a mineral as follows:
1. Minerals
must have a repetitive crystalline structure.
2.
Minerals must have a determinable and
precise formula.
3. Minerals must
be natural.
4. Minerals must be inorganic.
Examples:
Amber,
Jet, Mellite, Opal, Pearl, Whewellite.
- The
Mineraloids:
"Minerals"
that lack crystal structure
The members
of this unofficial class are often mistaken
for minerals and are sometimes classified
as minerals, but lack the necessary
crystalline structure to be truly classified
as minerals. Pearl, jet and amber are
also the products of organic process
that further remove them from full mineral
status. These materials are found naturally,
some are treated as gemstones and are
included in most mineral references.
Examples:
Amber
(fossilized tree resin), Jet (very compact
coal), Lechatelierite (nearly pure silica
glass), Limonite (a mixture of oxides),
Mercury (a liquid at normal temperatures),
Obsidian (volcanic silica glass), Opal
(hydrated silica), Pearl (organically
produced carbonate), Tektites &
Moldavite (meteoric silica glass).
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