Minerals are every
where around us. They make up almost
everything. When one or more elements
naturally combine to make something inorganic (not living) the result is a
mineral. For example coal is not a
mineral because it is made out of the decay of organic items like plants. According to geology.com the requirements
that must be fulfilled for something to be called a mineral are:
Naturally
occurring
Inorganic
(not alive)
Solid
Definite
chemical composition
Ordered
internal structure
Even though liquid
water does not meet these requirements ice does. Therefore even ice is considered a mineral.
Minerals have many
uses as building materials for roads and jewelry. They are important substances in our
diets. Some even have spiritual or
religious significance. I will cover
these uses in more detail while writing about specific minerals.
Minerals most
usually take the form of rocks and crystals.
Gems are Minerals that are rare and expensive. Some examples of these include:
Diamonds
Rubies
Emeralds
Some of these
minerals are metallic such as:
Gold
Silver
The minerals that
fulfill our dietary requirements are:
Iron
Calcium
Copper
Sulfur
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Plus
many others
There are about
4,000 different minerals (too many to list here). Some examples are:
Anhydrite
Apatite
Arsenopyrite
Augite
Azurite
Barite
Bauzite
Beryl
Biotite
Bornite
Calcite
Cassiterite
Chalcocite
Chalcopyrite
Chlorite
Chromite
Chrysoberyl
Cinnabar
Copper
Cordierite
Corundum
Cuprite
Diamond
Diopside
Dolomite
Enstatite
Epidote
Fluorite
Galena
Garnet
Glauconite
Gold
Graphite
Gypsum
Halite
Hematite
Hornblende
Illmenite
Jadeite
Kyanite
Limonite
Magnesite
Megnetite
Malachite
Marcasite
Molydenite
Monazite
Muscovite
Nepheline
Olivine
Orthoclase
Plagioclase
Prehnite
Pyrite
Pyrophyllite
Pyrrhotite
Quartz
Rhodochrosite
Rhodonite
Rutile
Serpentine
Siderite
Silimanite
Silver
Sodalite
Sphalerite
Spinel
Spodumene
Staurolite
Sulfur
Sylvite
Talc
Titanite
Topaz
Tourmaline
Turquoise
Uraninite
Witherite
Wollastonite
Zircon
Zoisite
Sources:
I chose to start
learning about minerals and their uses through the Earthway book. I hope to share with you the uses of minerals
in nature and everyday life as I learn about specific minerals. Looking forward to digging deeper into the
knowledge the Earthway book has provided and sharing all I have learned. Thank you for
reading. Love and light to all.
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