Mineral Properties, Photos, Uses and Descriptions - Geology.com
What Are Minerals? Minerals are materials that meet five requirements. They are: 1) naturally occurring, 2) inorganic, 3) solids, 4) with a definite chemical composition, and, 5) an ordered internal structure.
What are Minerals? | What are Mineral Properties? - Geology.com
There are approximately 4000 different minerals, and each of those minerals has a unique set of physical properties. These include: color, streak , hardness , luster , diaphaneity, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, magnetism, solubility, and many more.
Geology and Earth Science News, Articles, Photos, Maps and More
Geology.com is one of the world's leading portals to geology and Earth science news and information for rocks, minerals, gemstones, energy, volcanoes, earthquakes, careers, geologic hazards, and more.
Fluorescent Minerals and Rocks: They Glow under UV Light!
A small number of minerals and rocks will glow with spectacular colors under ultraviolet light. Learn how this happens.
What Are Rock-Forming Minerals? - Geology.com
What Are Rock-Forming Minerals? Scientists have identified over 4,000 different minerals. A small group of these minerals make up almost 90% of the rocks of Earth’s crust. These minerals are known as the common rock-forming minerals.
Sulfur: Mineral, Native Element, Nutrient. Its uses and properties.
As a mineral, sulfur is a bright yellow crystalline material. It forms near volcanic vents and fumaroles, where it sublimates from a stream of hot gases. Small amounts of native sulfur also form during the weathering of sulfate and sulfide minerals. The largest accumulations of mineral sulfur are found in the subsurface.
Gemstones: Facts, photos, and information for over 100 gems.
Serpentine - a group of metamorphic minerals used as gems and architectural stone.
Quartz Mineral | Photos, Uses, Properties, Pictures - Geology.com
The best way to learn about minerals is to study with a collection of small specimens that you can handle, examine, and observe their properties. Inexpensive mineral collections are available in the Geology.com Store .
Luster: The light-reflecting qualities of a mineral. - Geology.com
The photographs and descriptions on this page illustrate some of the most common lusters observed in minerals.
Copper Mineral | Uses and Properties - Geology.com
Minerals: Information about ore minerals, gem materials and rock-forming minerals.