MINERALOGY Classifications of Minerals

§ Scientific study of minerals,

§ ROCK FORMING MINERALS
§ Structure (chemical and crystalline)
§ Minerals found in abundance of earth crust
§ Properties (physical)
§ forms igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic
§ Processes (origin, formation & occurrence)
rocks
§ Classification and distribution
§ uses § ORE FORMING MINERALS
§ Minerals that are of economic values
MINERALS § limited mode of occurrence
§ naturally occurring, Inorganic, Solid element or § formed by more unusual processes
compound § over 4000 Minerals exist in earth crust
§ crystalline substance, definite atomic structure § All are composed of oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron,
and chemical composition calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium

MINERAL GROUPS: MINERAL GROUPS:

MINERAL GROUP ANIONS Exception MINERAL Common CHEMICAL NAME Chemical
OXIDES O2- Carbon,!sulphur GROUP Name Formula
and!silicate Hematite Iron!Oxide! Fe2O3
SULPHIDES S-2 Corundum Aluminum!Oxide Al2O3
OXIDES
SULPHATES SO4–2 Frozen H2O
HALIDES Halogens!(F,!Cl,!Br, etc) Water
CARBONATES CO3–2 complex Galena Lead!Sulphide! PbS
SULPHIDES
PHOSPHATES PO4–3 complex Pyrite Iron Sulphide! FeS2
SILICATES Si: O2 Combination of! Gypsum Calcium!Sulphate CaSO4!!"H2O
SULPHATES
Si:O4 silicon!and!oxygen Barite Barium Sulphate BaSO4
NATIVE MINERALS Single elements
MINERAL GROUPS: MINERAL GROUPS:
MINERAL Common CHEMICAL NAME Chemical MINERAL Common CHEMICAL NAME Chemical
GROUP Name Formula GROUP Name Formula
Fluorite Calcium!Fluoride CaF2 Quartz Silicon!Oxygen Tetrahedra SiO2
HALIDES
Halite Sodium!Chloride NaCl SILICATES Feldspar Sodium-Aluminum Silicate NaAlSi3O8
Calcite Calcium!Carbonate! CaCO3
Olivine Iron!or!magnesium Silicate (Mg,!Fe)2SiO4
CARBONATES Calcium- Magnesium! (Ca,Mg)!CO3
Dolomite Gold Au
Carbonate
Diamond Carbon C
Apatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH) NATIVE
Graphite Carbon C
Hydrated!Copper! CuAl6! MINERALS
PHOSPHATES Sulphur S
Turquoise Aluminum! (PO4)4(OH)8
Phosphate !5H2O Copper Cu

1. COLOR 1. COLOR

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
2. STREAK Ø Not constant in most of the minerals
3. LUSTRE Ø Due to the stain or impurities in the minerals
4. STRUCTURE Ø May indicate that mineral has undergone peculiar
5. HARDNESS phenomena

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS Ø PLAY OF COLORS:

Ø Development of series of prismatic colors by
6. SPECIFIC GRAVITY turning about in light
7. CLEAVAGE Ø CHANGE OF COLORS:
8. FRACTURE Ø Similar to play of colors but slower rotation
9. TENACITY Ø IRIDESCENE:
10.FORM Ø Show rainbow colors either in the interior or on
the surface
 2. STREAK 4. STRUCTURE and FORM
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Ø Color of mineral powder Ø Denote the shape and form of minerals
Ø Nearly constant than the color Ø COLUMNAR: Ø BOTRYOIDAL:
Ø Determined by marking unglazed porcelain or thick or thin column- an aggregate-like
simply by scratching with a knife and observing the like structure bunch of grapes
powder color Ø BLADED: Ø RENI FORM:
blade like structure kidney shaped
3. LUSTRE Ø RADIATED: aggregate
Ø Description of how much a mineral reflects light fibrous diverging from Ø GRANULAR:
Ø METALLIC(SHINY) central points Densely packed grains
Ø Classy (vitreous) – like broken glass Ø LAMELLAR: Ø MASSIVE:
Ø Metallic – like metal made of separable No definite shape for
Ø Pearly – like pearls plates minerals
Ø NONMETALLIC (DULL)

5. HARDNESS 6. SPECIFIC GRAVITY

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Ø Resistance of minerals to abrasion or scratching Ø the density of the mineral compared to the density
Ø Measured relative to a scale of ten of minerals of water
7. CLEAVAGE
Ø tendency of a crystallized mineral to break along
certain definite planes yielding more or less smooth
surfaces
8. FRACTURE
Ø defined as the appearance of its broken surface
Ø CONCHOIDAL: concentric rings or curved surface
Ø EVEN: smooth and flat
Ø UNEVEN: irregular surface
Ø SPLINTERY: breaks with a rough
 9. TENACITY COLOR
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Ø Behavior of mineral when deformed or broken
The!iron!in!hematite!
Ø SECTILITY: § Minerals!may!be!cut!with!a!knife makes!it!produce!a!
Ø MALLEABILITY: § The!mineral!may!be!pounded!out! red!streak
into!thin!sheets
Ø BRITTLENESS § The!mineral!breaks!or!powders!
easily
STREAK
Ø ELASTICITY: § Regains!former!shape!as!
pressure!is!released Azurite!is!
Ø DUCTILITY: § Mineral!may!be!drawn!into!a! distinguished!by!its!
wire;!tough!as!well bright!blue!color
Ø PLASTICITY: § Mineral!will!not!go!back!to!
original!position!when!released

LUSTER HARDNESS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The gypsum
crystals of
Moh’s Hardness
2 will result to
a scratch, if
scratched by a
fingernail,
because a
fingernail has a
2.5 hardness
 CLEAVAGE CLEAVAGE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
NONE:!
no!observable!breakage!patterns
(eg.!Corundum!and!quartz)
Smithsonite, will
break into a IMPERFECT/INDISTINCT:
bunch of round cleavage!plane!is!not!smooth,!poor!quality!
bubbles when (e.g.!Beryl)

smashed due to
its cleavage RHOMBOHEDRAL:!
Cleaves!in!3!directions;!sides!are!not!at!right!
angles!
(e.g.!calcite)

CLEAVAGE STRUCTURE and FORM

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OCTAHEDRAL:!cleaves!in!4!direction
e.g.!fluorite

DISTINCT:!cleavage planes!are!defined!or!obvious!
(e.g.!marcasite) BLADED FORM MASSIVE FORM
GRANULAR FORM RENI FORM
BASAL:!peels!in!sheets;!one!direction!cleavage!
(e.g.!muscovite)

CUBIC:!breaks!into!cubes!-3!directions
(e.g.!galena)
 STRUCTURE and FORM FRACTURE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Asbestos: Splintery
or Fibrous Fracture

LAMELLAR FORM BLADED FORM

COLUMNAR BOTRYOIDAL FORM
FORM Quartz: Conchoidal
Fracture