Silicate Materials and Non-Silicate Materials
SILICATE MINERALS
Quartz
Quartz is one of the most common mineral in Earth’s crust! Quartz can be found in all sorts of rocks. Igneous rocks sometimes contain large quartz crystals.
Mica minerals
Mica minerals make some rocks sparkle! They are often found in igneous rocks such as granite and metamorphic rocks such as schist.
Feldspar
Feldspar is the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust, so you are very likely to find it in the rocks you collect! It is found it all of the three rock types, but is most common in intrusive igneous rocks like granite where the crystals look white or pink.
Olivine
Olivine looks like little green crystals. It is typically found in some igneous and metamorphic rocks
Halide Mineral
The halide mineral class include those minerals with a dominant halide anion.
NON-SILICATE MINERALS
Hematite
The largest amounts of hematite are found in sedimentary rocks, often as thin layers between layers of quartz or chert.
Hematite is an important ore of iron. It is also used to make red paint and it is made into jewelry such as beads.
Pyrite
Like real gold, pyrite is a brassy yellow color. It is found in all three rocks types: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
Gypsum
You can find gypsum in sedimentary rocks, deserts, and caves. Large amounts can form in layers on a salty sea or lake bottom when water evaporates leaving the mineral behind.
Halite
Halite is salt. In its natural form, it’s called rock salt.
Halite is found in sedimentary rocks. It is called an evaporite mineral because it formed in ancient seas and salt lakes as they slowly evaporated millions of years ago.
Calcite
Calcite is typically found in the sedimentary rock called limestone. Calcite is also in marble, a metamorphic rock, which forms when limestone is put under strong heat and
Quartz
Quartz is one of the most common mineral in Earth’s crust! Quartz can be found in all sorts of rocks. Igneous rocks sometimes contain large quartz crystals.
Mica minerals
Mica minerals make some rocks sparkle! They are often found in igneous rocks such as granite and metamorphic rocks such as schist.
Feldspar
Feldspar is the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust, so you are very likely to find it in the rocks you collect! It is found it all of the three rock types, but is most common in intrusive igneous rocks like granite where the crystals look white or pink.
Olivine
Olivine looks like little green crystals. It is typically found in some igneous and metamorphic rocks
Halide Mineral
The halide mineral class include those minerals with a dominant halide anion.
NON-SILICATE MINERALS
Hematite
The largest amounts of hematite are found in sedimentary rocks, often as thin layers between layers of quartz or chert.
Hematite is an important ore of iron. It is also used to make red paint and it is made into jewelry such as beads.
Pyrite
Like real gold, pyrite is a brassy yellow color. It is found in all three rocks types: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
Gypsum
You can find gypsum in sedimentary rocks, deserts, and caves. Large amounts can form in layers on a salty sea or lake bottom when water evaporates leaving the mineral behind.
Halite
Halite is salt. In its natural form, it’s called rock salt.
Halite is found in sedimentary rocks. It is called an evaporite mineral because it formed in ancient seas and salt lakes as they slowly evaporated millions of years ago.
Calcite
Calcite is typically found in the sedimentary rock called limestone. Calcite is also in marble, a metamorphic rock, which forms when limestone is put under strong heat and