Groups of Minerals

• Minerals are grouped by the ele-ments they are made of.

Amethyst

Beryl (Emer-ald) Calcite

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Silicates

Contain oxygen & silicaThe most abundant group of minerals

Quartz, mica

MICA Quartz

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Non-Silicates

Make up only 5% of the Earth’s crustInclude some of the most important minerals

iron, copper, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies

Silver

GoldRuby Iron

Copper

Diamond

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Carbonates Carbon & oxygen and a positive ion, such as calcium

Calcite (CaCO3)

Calcite with Duftite inclu-sions

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Oxides Metallic ion and oxygen

Hematite (Fe2)O3

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Sulfides Sulfur and a metallic ion

Galena (PbS)

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Sulfates Metallic ion, Sulfur & oxygen

Barite (BaSO4)

Barite on Calcite BaSo4 / CaCO3

BariteBaSo4

Mineral Group Characteristics Examples

Native Elements

Single elements

Gold (Au), Diamond (C), Silver (Ag)

How do minerals form?

• 1) Cooling of magma (hot, liquid rock and minerals inside the earth (from the mantle))– Fast Cooling = No Crystals (mineraloids)–Medium Cooling = small crystals– Slow Cooling = large crystals

• 2) Elements dissolved in liquids (usually water)