Mineral Identification Reference

Mineral identification entries

• Actinolite — Green amphibole mineral forming the intermediate member between tremolite and ferro-actinolite. Nephrite jade is a compact variety.
• Adamite — Zinc arsenate hydroxide forming vivid yellow-green fluorescent crystals. Popular collector mineral from Mexican localities.
• Agate — Banded variety of chalcedony displaying concentric or parallel layers of varying colors. Each band represents a separate deposition event.
• Albite — Sodium-rich end member of the plagioclase feldspar series. One of the most common minerals in the Earth crust.
• Almandine — The most common garnet, forming deep red to reddish-brown crystals. Widely used as an abrasive and semi-precious gemstone.
• Alunite — Potassium aluminum sulfate hydroxide formed by sulfuric acid alteration of feldspars. Indicator of epithermal ore systems.
• Amazonite — Green to blue-green variety of microcline feldspar. Color caused by small amounts of lead and water in the crystal structure.
• Amethyst — Purple variety of quartz colored by iron impurities and irradiation. Prized as a gemstone since antiquity.
• Analcime — Hydrated sodium aluminum silicate zeolite/feldspathoid forming distinctive trapezohedral crystals. Also spelled analcite.
• Andalusite — Aluminum silicate polymorph stable at low pressures. The variety chiastolite shows a distinctive cross-shaped pattern in cross section.
• Andesine — Plagioclase feldspar intermediate in the series. Named after the Andes Mountains where andesite its typical host rock is common.
• Andradite — Calcium-iron garnet. The variety demantoid is one of the most valuable garnets, prized for its high dispersion exceeding diamond.
• Anglesite — Lead sulfate forming in the oxidation zone of galena-bearing deposits. Forms adamantine crystals of high density.
• Anhydrite — Anhydrous calcium sulfate that converts to gypsum when exposed to water. Common in evaporite sequences.
• Anorthite — Calcium end member of the plagioclase feldspar series. Relatively rare on Earth but abundant in lunar rocks.
• Antigorite — Platy serpentine mineral forming massive dense aggregates. Non-fibrous and generally considered safer to handle than chrysotile.
• Apatite — Calcium phosphate group defining hardness 5 on the Mohs scale. Major source of phosphorus for fertilizers and the mineral in bones and teeth.
• Apophyllite — Phyllosilicate forming distinctive cubic-looking tetragonal crystals in zeolite assemblages. Popular collector mineral.
• Aragonite — Orthorhombic polymorph of calcium carbonate, less stable than calcite. Forms in biological systems shells, pearls and cave deposits.
• Arsenopyrite — Iron arsenic sulfide and the most common arsenic-bearing mineral. Important indicator of gold mineralization.
• Augite — The most common pyroxene mineral, forming dark stubby prismatic crystals with near-90° cleavage intersection.
• Autunite — Hydrated calcium uranyl phosphate with vivid yellow-green color and strong fluorescence. Important uranium prospecting mineral.
• Aventurine — Quartz variety with sparkly inclusions of fuchsite mica green or hematite red-brown creating aventurescence.
• Axinite — Calcium iron aluminum borosilicate forming distinctive wedge-shaped triclinic crystals with sharp edges.
• Azurite — Deep blue copper carbonate hydroxide. Historically important as a blue pigment and indicator of copper deposits.
• Barite — Barium sulfate notable for its high specific gravity 4.5 . Used extensively in drilling muds for oil and gas wells.
• Bauxite — Not a single mineral but a mixture of aluminum hydroxides gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore that is the primary ore of aluminum.
• Beryl — Beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate. Gem varieties include emerald green , aquamarine blue , morganite pink , and heliodor yellow .
• Biotite — Dark iron- and magnesium-rich mica. One of the most common rock-forming minerals, giving many rocks their dark sparkly appearance.
• Bismuth (native) — Native bismuth forming distinctive iridescent hopper crystals. Has the lowest thermal conductivity of any metal except mercury.
• Borax — Hydrated sodium borate forming in evaporite deposits. Major source of boron for glass, ceramics, and cleaning products.
• Bornite — Copper iron sulfide known as peacock ore for its vivid iridescent purple-blue tarnish. Important copper ore mineral.
• Brucite — Magnesium hydroxide forming waxy platy crystals. Important in refractory materials and as a flame retardant.
• Bytownite — Calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar. Rare as a gem but important petrologically in mafic igneous rocks.
• Calcite — The primary component of limestone and marble, calcite is one of the most widespread minerals. It reacts vigorously with dilute hydrochloric acid, making…
• Carnelian — Translucent reddish-orange variety of chalcedony colored by iron oxide. One of the oldest known gemstones.
• Cassiterite — Tin oxide and the primary ore of tin. Forms distinctive tetragonal prismatic crystals, often twinned.
• Celestine — Strontium sulfate, the principal ore of strontium. Often forms beautiful pale blue crystals in geodes.
• Celestite — Alternative name for celestine. Strontium sulfate forming delicate pale blue orthorhombic crystals in geodes.
• Cerussite — Lead carbonate forming in the oxidized zone of lead ore deposits. Known for its striking reticulate twinned crystal groups.
• Chabazite — Zeolite mineral forming distinctive rhombohedral crystals in basalt cavities. Used in water treatment and gas separation.
• Chalcedony — Cryptocrystalline variety of quartz with a waxy luster. Includes many sub-varieties such as agate, carnelian, and jasper.
• Chalcocite — Copper sulfide and one of the most important copper ore minerals. Contains 79.9% copper, making it highly valuable.
• Chalcopyrite — Copper iron sulfide and the most important copper ore mineral. Often confused with pyrite but has a more brassy, often tarnished appearance.
• Chert — Cryptocrystalline sedimentary silica. Flint is the dark variety found in chalk; both were used by early humans for tools.
• Chlorite — Green phyllosilicate mineral group common in low-grade metamorphic rocks. Gives greenschist its characteristic color.
• Chromian Diopside — Chrome-bearing variety of diopside with vivid emerald-green color. Used as an affordable green gemstone.
• Chromite — Iron chromium oxide and the only commercial ore of chromium. Essential for stainless steel and chrome plating.
• Chrysoberyl — Beryllium aluminum oxide. The variety alexandrite shows a dramatic color change from green in daylight to red in incandescent light.
• Chrysocolla — Hydrated copper silicate with vivid blue-green color. Common in oxidized copper deposits, often mixed with malachite and azurite.
• Chrysoprase — Apple-green variety of chalcedony colored by nickel. One of the most valued chalcedony varieties used in jewelry.
• Chrysotile — Serpentine group mineral and the most common form of asbestos. Forms silky fibrous masses of curled fibers.
• Cinnabar — Mercury sulfide and the primary ore of mercury. Has the highest refractive index of any mineral. Historically ground as vermillion pigment.
• Citrine — Yellow to orange variety of quartz. Natural citrine is relatively rare; most commercial citrine is heat-treated amethyst.
• Clinochlore — Magnesium-rich chlorite group mineral. The chromium variety kämmererite has a distinctive vivid purple-pink color.
• Clinozoisite — Monoclinic calcium aluminum silicate, the aluminum-rich end member of the epidote group. Less common than epidote.
• Cobaltite — Cobalt arsenic sulfide forming silver-white cubic crystals. Important cobalt ore with pyrite-like structure.
• Columbite — Iron-manganese niobate and the primary ore of niobium. Forms a series with tantalite coltan when mixed .
• Copper (native) — Native copper forming dendritic masses, wire-like aggregates, and rarely well-formed crystals. One of the first metals used by humans.
• Cordierite — Magnesium aluminum silicate showing strong pleochroism blue/violet/yellow . Gem variety iolite shows sapphire-like blue color.
• Corundum — Aluminum oxide and second hardest natural mineral. Gem varieties are ruby red and sapphire all other colors .
• Covellite — Copper sulfide with a striking indigo-blue color and iridescent appearance. Forms thin platy hexagonal crystals.
• Crocoite — Lead chromate forming spectacular bright orange to red prismatic crystals. Relatively rare and highly prized by collectors.
• Cryolite — Sodium aluminum fluoride once essential for aluminum smelting. Nearly invisible in water due to similar refractive index.
• Cuprite — Copper oxide forming distinctive red cubic crystals. Important secondary copper ore found in oxidation zones of copper deposits.
• Danburite — Calcium borosilicate forming colorless to pale yellow prismatic crystals resembling topaz. An underappreciated gemstone.
• Diamond — Native carbon crystallized under extreme pressure in the Earth mantle. Hardest natural material 10 on Mohs scale .
• Diopside — Calcium-magnesium pyroxene forming light green prismatic crystals. Chrome diopside is a vivid green gemstone variety.
• Dioptase — Hydrated copper silicate with intense emerald-green color. Too soft and brittle for jewelry but prized by collectors.
• Dolomite — Calcium magnesium carbonate that forms massive beds of dolostone. Distinguished from calcite by its slower reaction with cold acid.
• Dravite — Brown magnesium-rich tourmaline variety. Common in metamorphosed limestones and magnesian schists.
• Elbaite — Lithium-rich tourmaline and the most colorful tourmaline species. Includes rubellite pink , indicolite blue , and watermelon tourmaline.
• Enargite — Copper arsenic sulfide and an important copper ore in high-sulfidation epithermal deposits.
• Enstatite — Magnesium end member of the orthopyroxene series. Important rock-forming mineral in ultramafic rocks and some meteorites.
• Epidote — Calcium aluminum iron silicate with a characteristic pistachio-green color. Common metamorphic and hydrothermal mineral.
• Erythrite — Hydrated cobalt arsenate known as cobalt bloom for its vivid crimson-purple color. Important prospecting indicator for cobalt.
• Feldspar — The most abundant mineral group in the Earth's crust, making up about 60% of all rocks. Feldspars are essential constituents of igneous, metamorphic, and…
• Fluorite — Known for its wide range of colors and perfect octahedral cleavage, fluorite is the reference mineral for hardness 4 on the Mohs scale.
• Galena — The primary ore of lead, galena is easily recognized by its silver-gray color, high density, and perfect cubic cleavage. Handle with care as it contains lead.
• Garnierite — Green nickel-magnesium silicate and important ore of nickel from laterite deposits. Not a single mineral but a mixture.
• Gibbsite — Aluminum hydroxide and one of the three main minerals in bauxite, the primary ore of aluminum.
• Glaucophane — Blue sodic amphibole characteristic of high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphism in subduction zones. Gives blueschist its name.
• Goethite — Iron oxyhydroxide and the main component of rust and limonite. Named after the German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
• Gold — Native element prized since prehistory. Extremely malleable and ductile; one ounce can be drawn into 80 km of wire.
• Graphite — Native carbon with a layered crystal structure giving it extreme softness and lubricating properties. Used in pencils and as a lubricant.
• Grossular — Calcium-aluminum garnet occurring in a wide range of colors. Tsavorite green and hessonite orange are prized gem varieties.
• Gypsum — Hydrated calcium sulfate and one of the most common evaporite minerals. Defines hardness 2 on the Mohs scale. Used to make plaster.
• Halite — Sodium chloride — common table salt. Forms cubic crystals and is the most common evaporite mineral.
• Hematite — The most important iron ore mineral, hematite is responsible for the red color of many rocks and soils.
• Hemimorphite — Zinc silicate hydroxide forming beautiful blue druzy coatings and radiating crystal fans. Named for its hemimorphic crystal habit.
• Heulandite — Zeolite mineral forming distinctive coffin-shaped tabular crystals. Common in basalt cavities worldwide.
• Hornblende — The most common amphibole mineral, forming dark prismatic crystals with a characteristic 56°/124° cleavage angle.
• Hypersthene — Iron-bearing orthopyroxene with a distinctive coppery-red metallic sheen schiller . Common in mafic igneous rocks.
• Ilmenite — Iron titanium oxide and a major ore of titanium. Named after the Ilmen Mountains in Russia.
• Jadeite — Sodium aluminum pyroxene and one of the two minerals called jade the other being nephrite . Prized in Chinese culture.
• Jasper — Opaque, fine-grained variety of chalcedony containing up to 20% foreign materials that determine its color and pattern.
• Kaolinite — Clay mineral forming from weathering of aluminum-rich silicates, especially feldspar. Primary component of kaolin clay.
• Kyanite — Blue aluminum silicate polymorph with the unusual property of variable hardness: 4.5 along the crystal length but 7 across it.
• Labradorite — Plagioclase feldspar famous for labradorescence — a vivid play of iridescent blue, green, and gold colors from internal lamellae.
• Lapis Lazuli — Metamorphic rock prized as a gemstone for its intense blue color. Composed primarily of lazurite with calcite and pyrite inclusions.
• Lawsonite — High-pressure calcium aluminum silicate characteristic of blueschist-facies metamorphism in subduction zones.
• Lazurite — The main mineral component of lapis lazuli. Deep blue color from sulfur radical anions trapped in the sodalite crystal structure.
• Lepidolite — Lithium-bearing mica with a distinctive lilac to pink color. An important ore of lithium.
• Leucite — Potassium aluminum silicate feldspathoid forming distinctive trapezohedron-shaped crystals in potassium-rich volcanic rocks.
• Limonite — Hydrated iron oxyhydroxide mixture forming the typical rusty brown weathering product of iron-bearing minerals. Not a true mineral.
• Magnesite — Magnesium carbonate used in the production of refractory bricks and as a source of magnesium oxide.
• Magnetite — A strongly magnetic iron oxide mineral, magnetite is an important iron ore. Its strong magnetism makes it easy to identify - it will attract a magnet or…
• Magnetite (Lodestone) — Naturally magnetized variety of magnetite that acts as a natural compass. Known since antiquity for its magnetic properties.
• Malachite — A vivid green copper carbonate mineral, malachite is prized for its distinctive banded patterns. It is a secondary mineral that forms in the oxidized…
• Manganite — Manganese oxyhydroxide forming lustrous black prismatic crystals. An important ore of manganese.
• Marcasite — Iron sulfide polymorph of pyrite, forming in low-temperature acidic conditions. Unstable and tends to decompose over time.
• Mica (Muscovite) — A common phyllosilicate mineral known for its perfect basal cleavage, allowing it to be split into thin, flexible, transparent sheets.
• Microcline — Potassium feldspar of the alkali feldspar group. The green variety, amazonite, is a popular ornamental stone.
• Millerite — Nickel sulfide forming distinctive hair-like golden needle crystals. Named after mineralogist William Hallowes Miller.
• Mimetite — Lead arsenate chloride forming bright yellow to orange hexagonal barrel-shaped crystals. Name means "imitator" as it resembles pyromorphite.
• Molybdenite — Molybdenum sulfide and the principal ore of molybdenum. Has an extremely low coefficient of friction, used as a dry lubricant.
• Monazite — Rare earth phosphate and one of the most important ores of cerium and other rare earth elements. Often contains thorium.
• Montmorillonite — Swelling clay mineral of the smectite group. Absorbs water and expands dramatically, used in drilling muds and cat litter.
• Moonstone — Feldspar gem variety displaying adularescence — a floating blue-white sheen caused by light scattering from alternating feldspar layers.
• Muscovite (var. Fuchsite) — Chromium-bearing variety of muscovite mica with a distinctive emerald-green color. Often found in aventurine quartz.
• Natrolite — Zeolite mineral forming slender needle-like prismatic crystals. Name derives from natron sodium due to its sodium content.
• Nepheline — Feldspathoid mineral that forms instead of feldspar in silica-undersaturated igneous rocks. Important rock-forming mineral.
• Nephrite — Dense, tough variety of actinolite/tremolite amphibole. One of two minerals called jade, valued for its toughness.
• Oligoclase — Plagioclase feldspar intermediate between albite and andesine. Sunstone is a gem variety with aventurescence.
• Olivine — Green magnesium-iron silicate and one of the most common minerals in the Earth mantle. Gem variety is peridot.
• Onyx — Banded variety of chalcedony with parallel bands of black and white. Used since antiquity for cameos and intaglios.
• Opal — Hydrated amorphous silica known for its internal play of color caused by diffraction of light from regularly arranged silica spheres.
• Orpiment — Arsenic trisulfide with a brilliant yellow color and pearly luster. Was historically used as a pigment kings yellow .
• Orthoclase — Common potassium feldspar and important rock-forming mineral. Defines hardness 6 on the Mohs scale.
• Pectolite — Sodium calcium inosilicate. The blue variety from the Dominican Republic, called larimar, is a valued gemstone.
• Pentlandite — Iron-nickel sulfide and the most important ore of nickel. Usually occurs intergrown with pyrrhotite.
• Phlogopite — Magnesium-rich mica that forms yellowish-brown flexible sheets. Important in ultramafic and carbonate-hosted metamorphic rocks.
• Platinum — Native platinum, one of the rarest and most valuable metals. Dense, malleable, and highly resistant to corrosion.
• Prehnite — Calcium aluminum phyllosilicate with a distinctive apple-green color. One of the first minerals to be named after a person.
• Prehnite (Botryoidal) — Botryoidal habit of prehnite forming grape-like rounded masses. Distinctive pale green collector specimens.
• Proustite — Silver arsenic sulfide known as ruby silver for its vivid red color and high silver content 65.4% Ag .
• Pyrargyrite — Silver antimony sulfide known as dark ruby silver. Important silver ore mineral with 59.9% silver content.
• Pyrite — Known as "Fool's Gold" due to its brassy-yellow metallic luster. Pyrite is the most common sulfide mineral and is often associated with gold deposits…
• Pyrolusite — Manganese dioxide and the most important ore of manganese. Forms dark metallic masses and dendritic surface stains.
• Pyromorphite — Lead phosphate chloride forming bright green barrel-shaped hexagonal crystals. An important secondary lead mineral.
• Pyrope — Magnesium-rich garnet with a distinctive deep red color. Often found in kimberlites associated with diamond deposits.
• Pyrrhotite — Iron sulfide with a deficiency of iron atoms giving it magnetic properties. The only common magnetic sulfide mineral.
• Quartz — One of the most common minerals on Earth, quartz is a key component of many rock types. It is prized for its clarity and durability, and is widely used…
• Realgar — Arsenic sulfide with vivid red-orange color. Decomposes to yellow pararealgar upon prolonged light exposure.
• Rhodochrosite — Manganese carbonate with distinctive pink to rose-red color. The banded variety from Argentina is prized for decorative use.
• Rhodonite — Manganese inosilicate with a distinctive pink color, often veined with black manganese oxide. Used as an ornamental stone.
• Riebeckite — Sodium iron amphibole. Fibrous variety is crocidolite blue asbestos ; non-fibrous form found in alkaline igneous rocks.
• Rose Quartz — Pink variety of quartz. Color attributed to trace amounts of titanium, iron, or manganese, and microscopic inclusions of dumortierite.
• Rutile — Titanium dioxide forming reddish-brown to black prismatic crystals. Major ore of titanium and source of titanium dioxide pigment.
• Sanidine — High-temperature polymorph of potassium feldspar found in volcanic rocks that cooled rapidly.
• Scapolite — Silicate mineral group forming in metamorphic rocks. Some varieties show chatoyancy cat's eye effect when cabochon cut.
• Scheelite — Calcium tungstate and important ore of tungsten. Fluoresces bright blue-white under shortwave UV light.
• Scolecite — Calcium zeolite forming delicate spray-like clusters of needle-shaped crystals. Popular mineral specimen from India.
• Serpentine — Group of magnesium silicate minerals formed by hydration of ultramafic rocks. Includes antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile asbestos .
• Siderite — Iron carbonate that was historically an important iron ore. Forms distinctive rhombohedral crystals with curved faces.
• Sillimanite — High-temperature aluminum silicate polymorph forming fibrous or prismatic crystals. Indicates high-grade metamorphism.
• Silver — Native silver forming wire-like, dendritic, or massive aggregates. Highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any element.
• Skutterudite — Cobalt arsenide and important cobalt ore. Named after Skutterud, Norway. Used in high-temperature alloys.
• Smithsonite — Zinc carbonate that forms in the oxidation zone of zinc ore deposits. Named after James Smithson, founder of the Smithsonian.
• Smoky Quartz — Brown to black variety of quartz colored by natural irradiation of aluminum-containing silicon dioxide.
• Sodalite — Sodium aluminum silicate chloride with rich royal blue color. Member of the sodalite mineral group.
• Spessartine — Manganese-aluminum garnet with vivid orange to reddish-orange color. Increasingly popular as a gemstone.
• Spessartite — Alternative name for spessartine garnet. Vivid orange manganese-aluminum garnet increasingly popular in fine jewelry.
• Sphalerite — Zinc sulfide and the most important ore of zinc. Displays six directions of perfect cleavage and resinous to adamantine luster.
• Spinel — Magnesium aluminum oxide forming octahedral crystals. Red spinel was historically confused with ruby, including famous crown jewels.
• Spodumene — Lithium pyroxene and major ore of lithium. Gem varieties include kunzite pink and hiddenite green .
• Spodumene (Kunzite) — Pink to violet gem variety of spodumene colored by manganese. Discovered in 1902 and named after gemologist G.F. Kunz.
• Staurolite — Metamorphic index mineral famous for its cruciform penetration twins fairy crosses . Indicates medium-grade metamorphism.
• Stibnite — Antimony sulfide forming spectacular elongated prismatic crystals. The primary ore of antimony.
• Stilbite — Zeolite mineral forming distinctive bowtie-shaped crystal aggregates. Popular collector mineral found in basalt cavities.
• Strontianite — Strontium carbonate named after Strontian in Scotland where it was first discovered. Source of strontium.
• Sulfur — Native element with a distinctive bright yellow color and strong odor when heated. Found around volcanic vents and hot springs.
• Sunstone — Feldspar variety with aventurescence — a sparkly metallic glitter from tiny reflective inclusions of copper or hematite.
• Sylvite — Potassium chloride and an important potash ore for fertilizer production. Tastes more bitter than halite.
• Talc — The softest known mineral, defining hardness 1 on the Mohs scale. Has a soapy feel and is the main component of soapstone.
• Tennantite — Copper arsenic sulfide of the tetrahedrite group. Forms a solid solution series with tetrahedrite.
• Tetrahedrite — Copper antimony sulfide and the most common fahlore mineral. Important copper ore in some deposits.
• Tigers Eye — Chatoyant variety of quartz formed by replacement of crocidolite asbestos fibers with silica. Displays silky golden luster.
• Titanite — Calcium titanium silicate also known as sphene. Prized for its exceptional fire dispersion exceeding that of diamond.
• Topaz — Aluminum silicate fluoride prized as a gemstone. Naturally colorless, yellow, or blue; pink topaz is usually heat-treated.
• Torbernite — Hydrated copper uranyl phosphate forming emerald-green tabular crystals. Radioactive uranium mineral.
• Tourmaline — Complex borosilicate mineral group with extreme compositional variation. Shows strong pleochroism and piezoelectric properties.
• Tremolite — Calcium-magnesium amphibole forming white to light green elongated crystals. Fibrous varieties are a form of asbestos.
• Turquoise — Hydrated copper aluminum phosphate prized for millennia as a gemstone. One of the oldest known gem materials.
• Ulexite — Sodium calcium borate known as TV stone because polished specimens transmit images through fiber-optic-like crystal bundles.
• Uraninite — Uranium dioxide and the most important ore of uranium. Variety pitchblende is the massive form.
• Uvarovite — Rare chromium garnet with vivid emerald-green color. Crystals are typically too small for faceting but form stunning druzy specimens.
• Vanadinite — Lead vanadate chloride forming bright red to orange hexagonal prismatic crystals. Important ore of vanadium.
• Variscite — Hydrated aluminum phosphate with apple-green color. Sometimes confused with turquoise but lacks copper.
• Vermiculite — Hydrous phyllosilicate that exfoliates dramatically when heated, expanding up to 30 times its original volume.
• Vesuvianite — Complex calcium aluminum silicate also known as idocrase. Forms distinctive tetragonal prismatic crystals in skarns.
• Vivianite — Hydrated iron phosphate that starts colorless but turns deep blue to blue-black upon exposure to light.
• Wavellite — Hydrated aluminum phosphate famous for its stunning radial crystal clusters forming circular cross-sections.
• Witherite — Barium carbonate that is relatively rare but important as a barium ore. Quite heavy for a carbonate mineral.
• Wolframite — Iron-manganese tungstate and major ore of tungsten. Name gives tungsten its chemical symbol W.
• Wolframite (Ferberite) — Iron-dominant end member of the wolframite series. Forms black opaque crystals in tungsten-bearing veins.
• Wolframite (Hübnerite) — Manganese-dominant end member of the wolframite series. Forms reddish-brown translucent crystals.
• Wollastonite — Calcium inosilicate forming white tabular or fibrous crystals. Important industrial mineral used in ceramics and plastics.
• Wulfenite — Lead molybdate forming thin, brilliantly colored tabular crystals. One of the most colorful and prized collector minerals.
• Zircon — Zirconium silicate and the oldest known mineral on Earth 4.4 billion years . Important gemstone and source of zirconium.
• Zoisite — Calcium aluminum silicate. The blue-violet variety tanzanite is one of the most valued gemstones, found only in Tanzania.