Different Types of Minerals


So what types of minerals are there?

Although minerals are classified by their chemical composition (anions), they can be divided into two main groups - rock-forming minerals, and ore (precious) minerals.



Rock Forming Minerals

Rock forming minerals are by far the majority.

They are the non-metallic minerals, and while most of them are not mined in mines, they are still quarried and many of them do have their uses in industry.

These minerals include most oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, phosphates, borates, and more than anything, the largest group of minerals on the Earth - silicates.

Examples of rock-forming minerals include quartz, corundum, calcite, aragonite, fluorite, apatite, olivine, zircon, muscovite, biotite, hornblende, orthoclase, plagioclase, kaolinite, illite, halite, gypsum, anhydrite, colemanite, beryl, topaz, garnet, sodalite, tremolite, glaucophane, epidote, talk, magnesite, brucite, andalusite, graphite, wollastonite, diopside, sillimanite, kyanite and many more.

 rock forming minerals

Metal Ore Minerals

Metal ore minerals, a type of precious minerals, are the minerals we put a fair bit of effort into to mine, because they are worth a fair bit of money.

These minerals mostly belong to two groups - native elements, and sulfides, although there are exceptions.

 metal ore minerals
 
Ore minerals include gold (of course), silver, copper, nickel, zinc, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, chalcosite, bornite, molybdenite, cinnabar and others.









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