Transparent Minerals

• Name of mineral [chemical composition]
  1. Colours
  2. # Mohs' scale of hardness; Type of crystals
  3. Uses

• Actinolite [Hydrous calcium magnesium divalent iron inosilicate]
  1. Brilliant green, grey-green
  2. # 5-6; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections,namental objects
• Adamite [Hydrated zinc arsenate]
  1. Colourless, yellow, violet, green, pink
  2. # 3.5; Orthorhombic
  3. Research, collections
• Aegerine [Sodium trivalent iron inosilicate]
  1. Green, black
  2. # 6-6.5; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Analcime [Sodium tectosilicate]
  1. Colourless, white, pink, grey
  2. # 5.5; Cubic
  3. Research, collections
• Anorthite [Calcium tectosilicate]
  1. White, grey, green, pink
  2. # 6-6.5; Triclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Argonite [Calcium carbonate]
  1. Colourless, white, sky-blue, yellow, pink, grey
  2. # 3.5-4; Orthorhombic
  3. Research, collections
• Asbestos (See: Serpentine)
• Augite [Calcium magnesium iron aluminum inosilicate]
  1. Green, yellow-green, brown, violet, black
  2. # 5-6; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Biotite [Hydrous potassium magnesium divalent iron phyllosilicate]
  1. Black, brown, yellow, dark green
  2. # 2.5-3; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Borax [Sodium soroborax]
  1. Colourless, white, grey, blue, green
  2. # 2-2.5; Monoclinic
  3. Source of boric acid
• Brucite [Magnesium hydroxide]
  1. Colourless, green, blue, yellow-pink, brown
  2. # 2.5; Trigonal
  3. Source of magnesium; refractories
• Calcite [Calcium carbonate]
  1. Colourless, white, yellow, pink, green, brown
  2. # 3; Trigonal
  3. Building; flux in metallurgy; chemical industry, fertilizer,namental stone
• Carnallite [Hydrated potassium magnesium chloride]
  1. Colourless, reddish
  2. # 2.5; Orthorhombic
  3. Source of potassium, magnesium, chlorine; fertilizer
• Cerussite [Lead carbonate]
  1. Colourless, grey
  2. # 3-3.5; Orthorhombic
  3. Source of lead; minor source of silver
• Chlorite [Hydrous magnesium iron aluminum phyllosilicate]
  1. Colourless, green-grey, bluish green, brown
  2. # 2-2.5; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Cinnabar [Mercury sulfide]
  1. Bright red, brown-red, grey
  2. # 2-2.5; Trigonal
  3. Source of mercury; pigment and fungicide in the past
• Corundum [Aluminum oxide]
  1. Various colours
  2. # 4-4.1; Trigonal
  3. Abrasives; gems (ruby, sapphire)
• Cryolite [Sodium aluminum fluoride]
  1. Colourless, white, reddish-brown
  2. # 2.5-3; Monoclinic
  3. Flux in enemal factories; glass, china
• Cryosite [Hydrous magnesium phyllosilicate]
  1. White, green-grey, yellow
  2. # 3-4; Monoclinic, thorhombic
  3. Research, collections
• Cuprite [Copper oxide]
  1. Copper-red, black, green
  2. # 3.5-4; Cubic
  3. Source of copper
• Hornblende [Hydrous calcium magnesium divalent iron aluminum inosilicate]
  1. Green, green-brown, black
  2. # 5-6; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Labradorite [Calcium sodium tectosilicate]
  1. Grey with blue
  2. # 6-6.5; Triclinic
  3. Ceramics, refractories industries; building, ornamental objects
• Lazurite [Calcium sodium tectosilicate]
  1. Bright blue
  2. # 5.5-6; Cubic
  3. Ornamental objects; dye in past
• Leucite [Potassium tectosilicate]
  1. White
  2. # 5-5.6; Tetragonal
  3. Research, collections; fertilizer in past
• Magnesite [Magnesium carbonate]
  1. Colourless, white, yellow, brown
  2. # 4-4.5; Trigonal
  3. Iron and steel industry, pharmaceutical industry; refractories, special cements
• Muscovite [Hydrous potassium aluminum phyllosilicate]
  1. Silver-white, white-yellow, brown
  2. # 2-2.5; Monoclinic
  3. Electrical and thermal insulators, lubricant, ceramics products
• Nepheline [Sodium tectosilicate]
  1. Colourless, white, grey, green, red
  2. # 2.55-2.65; Hexagonal
  3. Ceramics, dye, textile, glassworks industries
• Niter [Potassium nitrate]
  1. Colourless, white, grey
  2. # 2; Orthorhombic
  3. Little use
• Olivine [Iron magnesium nesosilicate]
  1. Olive-green, green-yellow, dark green, brownish yellow, black
  2. # 6.5-7; Orthorhombic
  3. Source of magnesium; gems, refractories
• Orthoclase [Potassium tectosilicate]
  1. Colourless, white, grey, red
  2. # 6-6.5; Monoclinic
  3. Porcelain industry
• Sanidine [Potassium tectosilicate]
  1. Colourless, white, grey, light yellow
  2. # 6; Monoclinic
  3. Research, collections
• Sassolite [Nesoborate]
  1. White, grey, yellow, blue
  2. # 1; Monoclinic
  3. Pharmaceutical industry; production of borax
• Scheelite [Calcium tungstate]
  1. Yellow, green, grey, red, white
  2. # 4.5-5; Tetragonal
  3. Source of tungsten
• Serpentine [Hydrous magnesium phyllosilicate]
  1. Green, blackish green, yellowish white, yellowish brown, grey
  2. # 2.5-3.5; Monoclinic
  3. Use now prohibited
• Siderite [Iron carbonate]
  1. Light yellow to brown
  2. # 4-4.5; Trigonal
  3. Source of iron
• Smithsonite [Zinc carbonate]
  1. Various
  2. # 4.5-5; Trigonal
  3. Source of zinc; ornamental stones
• Staurolite [Iron aluminum mesosilicate]
  1. Red, red-brown, black
  2. # 7-7.5; Orthorhombic
  3. Research, collections
• Strontianite [Strontium carbonate]
  1. Colourless, white, grey, green, pink
  2. # 3.5-4; Orthorhombic
  3. Source of strontium; fireworks, sugar, special glass industries
• Sylvite [Potassium chloride]
  1. Colourless, violet, red
  2. # 2-2.5; Cubic
  3. Source of potassium; fertilizer
• Talc [Hydrous magnesium phyllosilicate]
  1. White, green, grey, brown
  2. # 1; Monoclinic
  3. Electrical, thermal insulators; paper, textile, cosmetic, dye industries; ornamental objects
• Witherite [Barium carbonate]
  1. Colourless, white, grey
  2. # 3-3.5; Orthoprhombic
  3. Source of barium; special glasses
• Wolframite [Iron manganese tungstate]
  1. Grey-black to brown-black to reddish chestnut
  2. # 4.5-5.5; Monoclinic
  3. Source of tungsten; filaments for electric lights; tools
• Wollastonite [Calcium inosilicate]
  1. White, colourless, pale green, grey
  2. # 4.5-5; Triclinic
  3. Ceramics industry

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