Lots Of Minerals 3

Front 1

Aragonite

Back 1

CaCO3
Color can be white or colorless or with usually subdued shades of red, yellow, orange, brown, green and even blue.
Luster is vitreous to dull.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
Crystal Habits include twinned hexagonal prismatic crystals as well as a diverse assortment of thin elongated prismatic, curved bladed, steep pyramidal (spiked) and chisel shaped crystals. A branching tree, coral or worm-like delicate form is called "flos ferri". Can also be compact, granular, radially fibrous and massive. Its massive forms can be layered, coralloid, pisolitic, oolitic, globular, stalachtitic and encrusting. Aragonite is a constituent of many species' shell structures. A layered sedimentary marble like formation is called Mexican Onyx and is used for carvings and ornamental purposes. Calcite pseudomorphs of aragonite crystals and formations are common.
Cleavage i

Front 2

Witherite

Back 2

BaCO3
Color is white, colorless, gray, brown, yellowish or greenish.
Luster is vitreous to dull.
Transparency crystals are transparent to usually translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
Crystal Habits include a pseudo-hexagonal trilling twin which forms a six-sided prism, usually with a slanted, tapering pyramid. Often they are dipyramidal without any prism faces. The faces are usually striated perpendicularly. Also there are botryoidal, massive and fibrous forms.
Hardness is 3 - 3.5.
Specific Gravity is 4.3+ (heavy for transparent minerals)
Cleavage is distinct in one direction, but not usually seen due to twinning.
Fracture is uneven.
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include fluorite, celestite, galena, barite, calcite and aragonite.
Other Characteristics: effervesces in dilute HCl solutions, also fluoresces light blue under both long and short-wave UV light and is phosphorescent under short-wave UV light.
Notable Occurrences include Cave-in-rock, Rosiclare, Ill

Front 3

Azurite

Back 3

Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Color is azure, deep blue or pale blue if found in small crystals or crusts.
Luster is vitreous to dull depending on habit.
Transparency: Transparent if in thin crystals, otherwise translucent to opaque.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m.
Crystal Habits crystals are irregular blades with wedge shaped terminations. Also, aggregate crusts and radiating, botryoidal, nodular and earthy masses.
Cleavage is good in one direction and fair in another.
Fracture is conchoidal and brittle.
Hardness is 3.5-4.
Specific Gravity is 3.7+ (heavier than average).
Streak is blue.
Associated Minerals are numerous and include malachite limonite, calcite, cerussite, quartz, chalcopyrite, native copper, cuprite, chrysocolla, aurichalcite, shattuckite, liroconite, connellite and other oxidized copper minerals.
Notable Occurrences include numerous localities worldwide, but special localities produce some outstanding specimens especially from Lasal, Utah; Bisbee, Arizona and New Mexico, USA; Mex

Front 4

Calcite

Back 4

CaCO3
Color is extremely variable but generally white or colorless or with light shades of yellow, orange, blue, pink, red, brown, green, black and gray. Occasionally iridescent.
Luster is vitreous to resinous to dull in massive forms.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m
Crystal Habits are extremely variable with almost any trigonal form possible. Common among calcite crystals are the scalenohedron, rhombohedron, hexagonal prism, and pinacoid. Combinations of these and over three hundred other forms can make a multitude of crystal shapes, but always trigonal or pseudo-hexagonal. Twinning is often seen and results in crystals with blocky chevrons, right angled prisms, heart shapes or dipyramidal shapes. A notch in the middle of a doubly terminated scalenohedron is a sure sign of a twinned crystal. lamellar twinning also seen resulting in striated cleavage surfaces. Pseudomorphs after many minerals are known, but easily identified

Front 5

Magnesite

Back 5

MgCO3
Color is white or gray, also tinted yellow or brown.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency crystals are translucent to transparent only in individual crystals.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m
Crystal Habits are usually massive forms such as lamellar, fiberous and course to fine grained rocks. Crystals are extremely rare, but when found are in the form of rhombohedrons or hexagonal prisms with a pinacoid termination.
Cleavage is perfect in three directions forming rhombohedrons.
Fracture is conchoidal to uneven.
Hardness is 4 - 4.5.
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.0 (average)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals calcite, dolomite, aragonite, strontianite and serpentine.
Other Characteristics: effervesces easily only in hot dilute hydrochloric acid.
Notable Occurrences include Austria; Bahia, Brazil; Korea; China; California, USA and many European localities.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, reaction to acid, occurrence and cleavage.

Front 6

Rhodochrosite

Back 6

MnCO3
Color is red to pink, sometimes almost white, yellow and brown.
Luster is vitreous to resinous.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m.
Crystal Habits include the rhombohedrons and scalahedrons with rounded or curved faces that can obscure the crystal shape. Some crystals can be flattened to a bladed habit and these are sometimes aggregated into rosettes or minute crystals into spherules. Also botryoidal, globular, stalactitic, layered, nodular, vein-filling and granular. Twinning is somewhat common forming penetration twins and contact twins similar to calcite's twins.
Cleavage is perfect in three directions forming rhombohedrons.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 3.5 - 4.
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.5 (above average)
Streak is white.
Other Characteristics: Pink and white banding in massive forms, non-fluorescence and specimens effervesce easily with dilute acids.
Associated Minerals include calcite, ankerite, alabandi

Front 7

Siderite

Back 7

FeCO3
Color is gray, yellow, yellowish brown, greenish-brown, reddish brown and brown. Some specimens show an iridescence probably caused by surface alteration to goethite.
Luster is vitreous to pearly or silky in some specimens.
Transparency: Crystals are usually translucent or virtually opaque.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m.
Crystal Habits are commonly curved rhombohedrons that are sometimes flattened to appear bladed, rarely scalahedral. Many aggregate forms are also found such as botryoidal, sphericules (sphaerosiderite), concretionary, stalactitic, vein-filling and earthy.
Cleavage is perfect in 3 directions forming rhombs.
Fracture is conchoidal to uneven.
Hardness is fairly variable going from 3.5 - 4.5.
Specific Gravity is 3.9+ (relatively heavy)
Streak is white.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, slight reaction to acids, cleavage, color and higher than average density.

Front 8

Smithsonite

Back 8

ZnCO3
Color is commonly apple green, blue-green, lavender, purple, yellow and white as well as tan, brown, blue, orange, peach, colorless, gray, pink and red.
Luster is usually pearly to resinous with light play across its surface and sometimes is simply vitreous.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m
Crystal Habits include the rhombohedrons and scalenohedrons with generally curved faces. But more commonly is botryoidal or globular.
Cleavage is perfect in three directions forming rhombohedrons.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 4 - 4.5.
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.4 (heavy for nonmetallic minerals)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are those found in oxidation zones of zinc sulfide deposits such as hemimorphite, cerussite, wulfenite, limonite, mimetite, dolomite, hydrozincite, aurichalcite, calcite and other carbonate minerals.
Other Characteristics: Effervesces slightly with warm hydrochloric (HCl) acid.
Noteable Occurrences include Tsumeb, Namibia and the Broken Hill Mine in Zambia; the Kelly Mine, Magdalena, New Mexico; Leadville, Colorado; Utah; Idaho and Arizona, USA; Mexico; Laurion, Greece; Bytom, Poland; Moresnet, Belgium and many other localities.
Best Field Indicators are luster, typical botryoidal habit, cleavage, hardness, reaction to hot acids and density.

Front 9

Dolomite

Back 9

CaMg(CO3)2
Color is often pink or pinkish and can be colorless, white, yellow, gray or even brown or black when iron is present in the crystal.
Luster is pearly to vitreous to dull.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3
Crystal Habits include saddle shaped rhombohedral twins and simple rhombs some with slightly curved faces, also prismatic, massive, granular and rock forming. Never found in scalenohedrons.
Cleavage is perfect in three directions forming rhombohedrons.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 3.5-4
Specific Gravity is 2.86 (average)
Streak is white.
Other Characteristics: Unlike calcite, effervesces weakly with warm acid or when first powdered with cold HCl.
Associated Minerals: include calcite, sulfide ore minerals, fluorite, barite, quartz and occasionally with gold.
Notable Occurrences include many localities throughout the world, but well known from sites in Midwestern quarries of the USA; Ontario, Canada; Switzerland; Pamplona, Spain and in Mexico.
Best Field Indicators are typical pink color, crystal habit, hardness, slow reaction to acid, density and luster.

Front 10

strontiantite

Back 10

SrCO3
Color is white, colorless, gray, yellowish or greenish.
Luster is vitreous to greasy.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
Crystal Habits include compact, granular, concretionary and massive forms. Crystals are uncommon and are usually pointed and nearly acicular in radiating clusters or tufts. Also forms a psuedo-hexagonal trilling twin is similar to, but is far rarer than aragonite's famous twin.
Hardness is 3.5-4
Specific Gravity is 3.7+ (above average for transparent minerals)
Cleavage is notable in one direction and poor in another.
Fracture is subconchoidal to uneven.
Streak is white.
Other Characteristics: effervesces in only warm HCl solutions or when powdered in cold HCl.
Associated Minerals include fluorite, celestite, galena, calcite and aragonite.
Notable Occurrences include Strontian, Scotland; San Bernito Co, California and Cave-in-rock, Illinois, USA; Austria and Germany.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habits, reaction to acid and density.

Front 11

cerussite

Back 11

PbCO3
Color is usually colorless or white, also gray, yellow, and even blue-green.
Luster is adamantine to almost submetallic and sometimes greasy.
Transparency Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m.
Crystal Habits twinning is common and expected (see above), single crystals can be prismatic with blunted pyramidal terminations. Some specimens show acicular white crystals. Also, reniform, earthy, and crusty varieties are found.
Cleavage is not as good as other carbonates, but still considered good in one direction.
Fracture is conchoidal and brittle.
Hardness is 3-3.5.
Specific Gravity is 6.5+ (very dense for a generally transparent mineral).
Streak is white or colorless.
Other Characteristics: Refractive index of 2.07 (very high) and prismatic crystals are striated lengthwise.
Associated Minerals are barite, calcite, anglesite, and other secondary minerals and especially galena.
Notable Occurrences include Tsumeb, Nambia; Congo; Morocco; Australia; Germany, Leadville, Colorado and Arizona, USA.
Best Field Indicators are its crystal habit (especially twins), heaviness, high refraction and luster.

Front 12

malachite

Back 12

Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Color is banded light and dark green or (if crystalline), just dark green.
Luster is dull in massive forms and silky as crystals.
Transparency is opaque in massive form and translucent in crystalline forms.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m.
Crystal Habitsin its massive forms are botryoidal, stalactitic or globular. Crystals are acicular or fibrous and form in tufts and encrustations. Frequently found as pseudomorphs of azurite.
Cleavage is good in one direction but rarely seen.
Fracture is conchoidal to splintery.
Hardness is 3.5-4.
Specific Gravity is 3.9+ (slightly heavy).
Streak is green.
Other Characteristics: Weakly effervesces in acid.
Associated Minerals include limonite, chalcopyrite, bornite, native copper, calcite, cuprite, azurite, chrysocolla and many rare copper minerals such as kolwezite, shattuckite, antlerite, brochantite, graemite, aurichalcite, sphaerocobaltite, atacamite, chalcophyllite, conichalcite, rosasite, chalcosiderite, clinoclase, cornetite, duftite, libethenite, liroconite, mixite and mottramite among others.
Notable Occurrences include many classic mineral localities such as Shaba, Congo; Tsumeb, Nambia; Ural mountains, Russia; Mexico; several sites in Australia; England and several localities in the Southwestern United States especially in Arizona, USA.
Best Field Indicators are color banding, softness, associations and reaction to acids

Front 13

wolframite

Back 13

(Fe,Mn)WO4

Front 14

scheelite

Back 14

CaWO4
Cleavage: {010} Distinct
Help on Color: Color: Colorless, White, Pale yellow, Brownish yellow, Reddish yellow.
Help on Density: Density: 5.9 - 6.12, Average = 6.01
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Columnar - Forms columns
Help on Habit: Habit: Disseminated - Occurs in small, distinct particles dispersed in matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 4-5 - Fluorite-Apatite
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Fluorescent, Short UV=bright bluish white.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white

Front 15

apatite

Back 15

Ca5(PO4)3(OH)
Chemical Classification phosphate
Color green, brown, blue, yellow, violet, colorless
Streak white
Luster vitreous to subresinous
Diaphaneity transparent to translucent
Cleavage poor
Mohs Hardness 5
Specific Gravity 3.1 to 3.2

Front 16

pyromorphite-vanadinite

Back 16

Pb5(PO4)3Cl, Pb5(VO4)3Cl

Front 17

wavellite

Back 17

Al3(PO4)2(OH)3-(H2O)5
Color is characteristically green but also white, colorless, yellow and brown.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
Crystal Habit is almost exclusively radiating acicular crystals forming globules or botryoidal masses.
Cleavage is perfect in two directions.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 3.5 - 4.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.3+ (light even for translucent minerals)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are quartz, micas, turquoise and limonite.
Other Characteristics: surface of globules often have minute crystals giving off tiny sparkles.
Notable Occurances include Arkansas and Pennsylvania, USA; Bolivia and England.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, green color and softness.

Front 18

carnotite

Back 18

K2(UO2)2(VO4)2- 1-3H2O
Color is bright yellow.
Luster is pearly to dull or earthy.
Transparency: Crystals are translucent to opaque.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits include crusts, earthy masses, foliated and granular aggregates.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 2.
Specific Gravity is approximately 4 - 5 (heavy for translucent minerals), higher gravity with lower water content.
Streak is yellow.
Associated Minerals include other uranium and vanadium minerals in sandstones and limestones.
Other Characteristics: Radioactive and not fluorescent.
Notable Occurrences include many locations in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Grants, New Mexico and Mauch Chunk, Carbon Co, Pennsylvania, USA; Shaba, Zaire; Morocco; Radium Hill, Australia and Kazakhstan.
Best Field Indicators are bright yellow color, density, habit, lack of any fluorescence, radioactivity and associations.

Front 19

monazite

Back 19

CePO4
Color is yellow to brown or orange-brown.
Luster is vitreous, resinous or adamantine.
Transparency: Specimens are translucent to opaque, but small crystals can be transparent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits include equant to prismatic crystals with wedge-shaped terminations. Crystals are rarely flattened or tabular. Twinning is common forming crosses and variously angled reentrant crystals. Typical habit is granular or massive with no distinct form.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction, poor in several other directions. The result is often shards or acutely angled splinters.
Fracture is uneven but gradationally converts to conchoidal with metamictation.
Hardness is variable from 5 - 5.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.6 - 5.7 (heavy for translucent minerals)
Streak is white.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, cleavage shards, high specific gravity, hardness and radioactivity.

Front 20

turquoise

Back 20

CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8*5(H2O)
Color is of course, turquoise, but this color actually varies from greenish blue to sky blue shades.
Luster is dull to waxy, vitreous in macro-crystals.
Transparency specimens are opaque.
Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
Crystal Habits include crystals rarely large enough to see, usually massive, cryptocrystalline forms as nodules and veinlets.
Cleavage is perfect in two direction, but is not often seen.
Fracture is conchoidal and smooth.
Hardness is 5 - 6
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.6 - 2.8 (average)
Streak is white with a greenish tint.
Associated Minerals are pyrite. limonite. quartz and clays.
Other Characteristics: color can change with exposure to skin oils.
Notable Occurances include Arizona and New Mexico, USA; Australia; Iran; Afghanistan and other locallities in the Middle East.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, hardness, luster, color and associations.

Front 21

erythrite

Back 21

Co3(AsO4)2-8(H2O)
Color is deep red-purple to lighter pinks in massive and thin crust forms.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits include flattened, striated blades or radiating accicular crystals; crystals are rare. More commonly as crusts or earthy masses.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction.
Fracture is uneven
Hardness is 1.5 - 2.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.1 (average for translucent minerals)
Streak is pale red.
Associated Minerals are silver, cobaltite, skutterudite, and other cobalt vein minerals.
Other Characteristics: blades are flexible and sectile.
Notable Occurences include Cobalt, Ontario; Bou Azzer, Morocco and Germany.
Best Field Indicators are color, associations and flexible crystals.

Front 22

kernite

Back 22

Na2B4O6(OH)2-3H2O
Color is white or gray to colorless.
Luster is vitreous to greasy.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits include short prismatic crystals, but is more commonly found in parallel aggregates resembling vein minerals.
Cleavage is perfect in two directions forming splintery fragments.
Fracture is splintery due to cleavage.
Hardness is 2.5 - 3 (harder than a fingernail)
Specific Gravity is approximately 1.9+ (very low density)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are borax, ulexite, hydroboracite and other borate minerals.
Other Characteristics: slightly soluable in water.
Notable Occurrences include several localities in Kern Co., California, USA; Chile, and Turkey.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, associations, locality, density, splintery cleavage, and hardness.

Front 23

borax

Back 23

Mg3B7O13Cl
Color is white to colorless and with pale tints of yellow, green and blue.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m , isometric; 4/m bar 3 2/m at high temperatures.
Crystal Habits include highly modified cubes and octahedrons which are actually pseudomorphs of the high temperature isometric phase. Also massive, fibrous, nodular and as embedded grains.
Cleavage is absent.
Fracture is uneven or conchoidal.
Hardness is 7 - 7.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.9 - 3.0 (average for translucent minerals)
Streak is white.
Other Characteristics: Slightly soluble in water.
Associated Minerals are anhydrite, gypsum, halite and other evaporite minerals.
Notable Occurrences include Yorkshire, England; Strassfurt, Germany; Bolivia; Chactaw Salt Dome, Louisiana and Otis, California, USA and France.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, associations, locality, lack of cleavage and the high hardness.

Front 24

colemanite

Back 24

CaB3O4(OH)3-H2O
Color is white to clear.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
Crystal Habits are quite variable, but include the short prismatic crystals always with complicated facets. Equant crystals that appear stubby and bead-like are also common. The crystals are sometimes flattened and can appear bladed. The terminations are either blunted or steeply pyramidal. Also massive, lamellar and granular habits are found.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction and distinct in another.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 4.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.4 (somewhat lower than average)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are calcite, celestite, borax, ulexite, kernite, hydroboracite and other borate minerals.
Other Characteristics: exfoliates (peels off) upon heating.
Notable Occurrences include Yermo, Boron, Death Valley and other California localities, USA; Nevada, USA; Chile and Panderma, Turkey.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, associations, locality, density, cleavage and hardness.

Front 25

ulexite

Back 25

NaCaB5O6(OH)6-5H2O
Color is white or gray to colorless.
Luster is silky.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
Crystal Habits include tufts of acicular crystals called "cotton balls". Also as vein-like masses of parallel fibrous crystals.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction.
Fracture is fibrous.
Hardness is 2 (softer than a fingernail)
Specific Gravity is approximately 1.97 (very low density)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are borax, colemanite, hydroboracite and other borate minerals.
Other Characteristics: similar borate minerals have an alkaline taste, while ulexite is tasteless.
Notable Occurrences include several localities in California and Nevada, USA; Tarapaca, Chile and Kazakhstan.
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, associations, locality, density, unique optical property, and hardness.