Silicates Minerals

Zircon is a zirconium silicate mineral with a chemical composition of ZrSiO4. It is common at some point of the world as a minor constituent of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.Zircon is a popular gemstone that has been used for almost 2000 years.

Chlorite is the organization name for approximately 10 related minerals. However, the time period Chlorite may be used each to explain the organization in fashionable, or as a specific term to explain any inexperienced member of the Chlorite institution whose precise identity isn't always realistic to be decided.

Used in ceramics and as a mild abrasive, microcline is one of the most common feldspar minerals. It can be colorless, white, cream to pale yellow, salmon pink to red, or bright green to blue-green. Microcline forms short prismatic or tabular crystals that are often of considerable size: single crystals can weigh several tons and reach yards in length. Crystals are often multiply twinned, with two sets of fine lines at right angles to each other. This gives a “plaid” effect that is unique to microcline among the feldspars.

The most common pyroxene, augite is named after the Greek word augites, which means “brightness”—a reference to its occasional shiny appearance. Most augite has a dull, dark green, brown, or black finish. Augite occurs chiefly as short, thick, prismatic crystals with a square or octagonal cross section and sometimes as large, cleavable masses. It occurs in a solid-solution series in which diopside and hedenbergite are the end-members. Augite is common in silica-poor rocks and various other dark-colored igneous rocks, as well as igneous rocks of intermediate silica content. It also occurs in some metamorphic rocks formed at high temperatures (1,065°F/575°C or above). Augite is a common constituent of lunar basalts and some meteorites. Notable crystal localities are in Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and USA. Because it is difficult to distinguish between augite, diopside, and hedenbergite in hand specimens, all pyroxenes are often identified as augite.

Amethyst is a mineral that belongs to the quartz family, known for its purple to violet hue. It is a popular gemstone used in...

Beryl is a member of cyclosilicate minerals with composed of beryllium aluminium. Chemical formula: Be3Al2Si6O18. Few people have ever heard of the mineral beryl but almost everyone has heard of its principal gemstone varieties emerald and aquamarine.

Well developed crystals of epidote, Ca2Al2(Fe3+;Al)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH), crystallizing inside the monoclinic system, are of frequent prevalence: they're normally prismatic in dependancy, the course of elongation being perpendicular to the single plane of symmetry.

Bentonite is a type of clay that is composed primarily of the mineral montmorillonite. It is a highly absorbent clay that has many uses...

Kyanite is commonly found in aluminum-rich metamorphic pegmatites and / or sedimentary rocks and is commonly a blue silicate mineral. Cyanide in metamorphic rocks show better pressures than four kilobars. Although it is undoubtedly strong at stress and low temperature, it is generally sufficiently high under these conditions where water hobbyist, muscovite, pyrophyllite or kaolinite-containing aqueous aluminosilicates are replaced. Kyanite is also called disten, ranetite and cyanide.

Zeolite is a group of silicate minerals that a family of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals that contain alkali and alkaline-earth metals with unusual properties with importance industrial application. Zeolite form is usually well-formed crystals with pale colors and generally soft and can easily crushed.They are found in geologically young volcanic fields.

Spodumene is a pyroxene member of inosilicate mineral with chemical formula is LiAl(SiO3)2, lithium aluminium. It can also be pink, lilac, or green. Crystals are prismatic, flattened, and typically striated along their length. Gem varieties of the mineral usually exhibit strong pleochroism.

Titanite, or sphene , which means wedge, is a calcium titanium nesosilicate mineral, CaTiSiO5. Trace impurities of iron and aluminium are generally gift. Also normally present are rare earth metals which includes cerium and yttrium; calcium can be partly replaced by thorium.