Mineral Groups

Common Categories

Two Basic Divisions

Silicates Contain Si and O

Sialic or Simatic

Non Silicates Does not contain Si

Silicates

Sialic Light colored

Non-ferromagnesium

Feldspar KAlSi3O

Quartz SiO2

Simatic Dark colored

Ferromagnesium

Olivine MgSiO4

Mica KMgFe3AlSi3O10

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mii.org/Minerals/Minpics1/Potash%2520feldspar.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photofeldspar.html&h=322&w=360&sz=29&tbnid=hIrGkAbLv3X6pM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfeldspar%2Bimage%26um%3D1&start=3&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=3

http://un2sg4.unige.ch/athena/mineral/images/quartz2_orpierre.html

http://webmineral.com/data/Olivine.shtml

http://www.soes.soton.ac.uk/resources/collection/minerals/minerals/pages/M31-Muscovite.htm

Non-Silicates

Carbonates Always end with C

and O

Calcite CaCO3http://www.minerals.net/mineral/carbonat/calcite/images/12cleave.htm

Non-Silicates

Oxides Metal with O

Hematite Fe2O3www.cst.cmich.edu/users/dietr1rv/hematite-a.jpg

Magnetite Fe3O4http://webmineral.com/specimens/Magnetite.jpg

Non-Silicates

Halides Halogens (Cl & F)

plus alkali or alkaline earth metal

NaCl KCl NaF

Non-Silicates

Sulfates Ends in SO4

Gypsum CaSO4*2H2O

http://webmineral.com/specimens/picshow.php?id=480

Non-Silicates

Sulfides Metals plus sulfur

(no O after S) Pyrite - FeS2

Galena - PbS Sphalarite ZnS http://webmineral.com/data/Pyrite.shtml http://webmineral.com/specimens/Galena.jpg

http://webmineral.com/data/Sphalerite.shtml

Non-Silicates

Native Single element Copper - Cu http://www.minerals.net/mineral/elements/copper/

copper2.htm

Sulfur - S Shttp://webmineral.com/data/Sulfur.shtml

Graphite - C http://webmineral.com/data/Graphite.shtml

Gold - Au http://webmineral.com/specimens/picshow.php?id=461