Mineral Picture Gallery
Special Mineral Galleries: Mineral Habits, Mineral Lusters
ROCK-FORMING MINERALS
Minerals that are abundant and widespread.
Amphibole:
Actinolite—The green to white amphibole of metamorphic rocks.
Glaucophane—The showy blue amphibole of subducted basalts.
Hornblende—The black amphibole and the most important one.
Biotite—Black mica is a common mineral in mafic rocks.
Calcite—A piece of Iceland spar demonstrates double refraction.
Dolomite—Cousin to calcite, a common carbonate mineral.
Feldspar:
Plagioclase—This common mineral can be hard to identify.
Potassium Feldspar—A typical occurence in "granite."
Muscovite—A specimen of white mica from southern New York.
Olivine—Close-up of a crystal in Hawaiian lava.
Pyroxene:
Aegirine—The dark sodium-iron pyroxene.
Augite—The typical black pyroxene mineral of igneous rocks.
Diopside—The light-green calcium-magnesium pyroxene.
Enstatite—The greenish all- magnesium pyroxene.
Jadeite—The famous gemstone is a sodium-aluminum pyroxene.
Omphacite—A green mineral of high-grade metamorphics.
Spodumene—The violet-colored lithium pyroxene.
Quartz—The commonest mineral, silica takes these other forms:
Chalcedony—The cloudy, colorful microcrystalline form of silica.
Opal—This silica mineral can display a whole rainbow of colors.
ACCESSORY MINERALS
Minerals that are widespread and significant but rarely abundant.
Andalusite—Makes collectible cross-bearing crystals.
Anhydrite—What gypsum becomes deep underground.
Apatite—This phosphate mineral makes up teeth and bones.
Aragonite—Clear crystals of calcite's close mineral cousin.
Barite—A heavy mineral forms fanciful "roses."
Bornite—This "peacock ore" copper mineral turns a crazy blue-green.
Cassiterite—Ancient and principal ore of tin.
Chalcopyrite—The foremost ore of copper.
Chlorite—The green mineral of many metamorphic rocks.
Corundum—Natural alumina, sometimes known as sapphire and ruby.
Epidote—Metamorphic mineral of a peculiar green color.
Fluorite—Every rockhound has a piece of this soft, colorful mineral.
Galena—A heavy, glittering mineral, principal source of lead metal.
Garnet:
Almandine—Some good grains of this mineral from New York.
Andradite—Green crystals from central California.
Grossular—A greenish garnet illustrated by a well-formed crystal.
Pyrope—Displayed in a California eclogite.
Spessartine—A honey-colored set of crystals from China.
Uvarovite—Emerald-green crystals from Russia.
Graphite—The stuff of pencils has more rugged uses too.
Gypsum—Shown in its prettiest form, "desert roses."
Halite—Also known as rock salt, this evaporite mineral sits at your table.
Hematite—A piece of "kidney ore" stands in for this common mineral.
Kyanite—A sky-blue mineral formed by high-pressure metamorphism.
Lepidolite—Lithium mica mineral with a fine lilac color.
Leucite—A feldspathoid mineral also called white garnet.
Magnetite—A genuine lodestone and a magnetic crystal.
Marcasite—A nearly dead ringer for pyrite.
Nepheline—A feldspathoid well known to potters.
Phlogopite—A brown mica mineral closely related to biotite.
Prehnite—A bottle-green mineral of low-grade metamorphic rocks.
Psilomelane—Manganese oxides make up this crusty mineral.
Pyrite—"Fool's gold" and the most important sulfide mineral.
Pyrolusite—The black manganese mineral of dendrites.
Pyrophyllite—A dead ringer for talc.
Rutile—Needles of this mineral occur in many rocks.
Serpentine—The group of green minerals that yields asbestos.
Sillimanite—Indicator mineral for high grades of metamorphism.
Sphalerite—The major zinc ore and an interesting mineral.
Spinel—A rugged mineral of metamorphosed limestones.
Staurolite—A typical crossed pair of crystals in a mica-schist matrix.
Talc—The softest mineral of them all.
Tourmaline—The common black variety called schorl.
Zircon—Both a gemstone and a precious source of geologic information.
UNCOMMON MINERALS AND VARIETIES
Minerals that are rare and sometimes valuable.
Amethyst—The brilliant purple form of crystalline quartz.
Axinite—A minor mineral of striking crystal form and color.
Benitoite—A striking blue, very rare and weird ring silicate mineral.
Beryl—A gemstone of many names, including emerald.
Borax—This household commonplace is found in desert lakebeds.
Celestine—A pale, sky-blue strontium mineral.
Cerussite—The spiky gray lead carbonate mineral.
Chrysocolla—This bright green-blue mineral is a sure sign of copper ore.
Cinnabar—The lipstick-red mineral, major ore of mercury.
Copper—The native metal shown in its natural wiry form.
Cuprite—Red copper ore and sometimes spectacular specimen stone.
Diamond—Blowup of a natural diamond crystal from the Congo.
Dioptase—Bright-green crystalline sign of copper deposits.
Dumortierite—Blue boron mineral of gneisses and schists.
Eudialyte—Striking red vein-maker in nepheline syenites.
Fuchsite—A Brazilian specimen of this green mica mineral.
Gold—Close-up of a real Alaskan nugget.
Hemimorphite—Handsome pale crusts of hydrous zinc silicate.
"Herkimer Diamond" Quartz—Doubly terminated crystals from New York.
Labradorite—The butterfly of the feldspars has dazzling blue schiller.
Lazurite—The ancient mineral source of ultramarine pigment.
Magnesite—A manganese carbonate ore mineral.
Malachite—Ultra-green copper carbonate, a favorite mineral of carvers.
Molybdenite—A beautiful soft metallic mineral and ore of molybdenum.
Platinum—Some rare crystals of the native metal.
Pyromorphite—A flashy green lead phosphate mineral.
Rhodochrosite—Calcite's manganese cousin has a distinctive rosy color.
Ruby—A fat thumb-sized pebble of this deep-red corundum.
Scapolite—Streaked clear crystals of metamorphosed limestones.
Siderite—A rugged brown iron carbonate mineral.
Silver—A wiry specimen of the native metal.
Smithsonite—Carbonate of zinc appears in many forms.
Sodalite—This deep blue feldspathoid is a rock-carving staple.
Sulfur—Delicate crystals accumulate around a volcanic vent.
Sylvite—A red potassium mineral distinguished by its bitter taste.
Titanite—The collectible brown crystals once known as sphene.
Topaz—Hardness and good crystals make it a popular mineral.
Turquoise—The most precious phosphate mineral.
Ulexite—One of many borate minerals, ulexite forms the unique "TV rock."
Variscite—This phosphate comes in veins like slabs of green candy.
Willemite—Prized by collectors for its bright fluorescence.
Witherite—A scarce barium carbonate mineral.
SPECIAL MINERAL GALLERIES
Amphiboles
Carbonate Minerals
Elemental Minerals
Evaporite and Halide Minerals
Feldspars
Garnets
Metallic Minerals
Mica Minerals
Oxide Minerals
Phosphate Minerals
Pyroxenes
Quartz
Rock-Forming Minerals
Silicate Minerals
Sulfate Minerals
Sulfide Minerals
Other picture galleries:
Fossil Pictures
Glaciers and Ice Pictures
Landform Pictures
Rock Pictures
Geologic Features and Processes Pictures
Geology and Society Pictures
Free Geologic Wallpaper Pictures
