Mineralogical species

a

• Acanthite

  Acanthite is a silver sulphide. It is the most important silver ore, after silver-bearing galena.

• Adamite

  Adamite is a hydrated zinc arsenate that can be found in the zones of oxidation of the zinc

• Aegirine

  Aegirine (formely acmite) is a sodium and iron silicate, which forms in alkaline rocks, such as

• Afghanite

  Afghanite is a complex hydrated sodium aluminosilicate of calcium and potassium, containing also

• Albite

  Albite is a sodic feldspar, therefore a sodium aluminosilicate. It forms, with anorthite, the two

• Allanite (Ce)

  Allanite-(Ce) is a complex hydrated silicate of calcium, yttrium, aluminium and of iron, also

• Almandine

  Almandine is a iron and aluminium silicate, that belongs to the garnets group of minerals.

• Analcime

  Analcime is an hydrated sodium aluminosilicate that belongs to the zeolites group. It is formed in

• Anatase

  Anatase is one of the 3 modifications of titanium dioxide that one can find in nature; the others

• Andorite

  Andorite is a mineral being formed in the hydrothermal veins of low temperature. Its crystals -

• Anglesite

  Anglesite is an abundant lead sulphate in a microscopic state on the surface of many galena (lead

• Apatite

  The name " apatite " comprises a series of hexagonal phosphates which either has hydroxide,

• Aragonite

  Aragonite is a triclinic, pseudo-orthorhombic, pseudo-hexgaonal calcium carbonate. It can be

• Arfvedsonite

  Arfvedsonite is an hydroxylated iron and sodium silicate. It belongs to the group of amphiboles. It

• Atacamite

  Atacamite is a hydrated chloride of copper that is formed in the oxidation zones of copper

• Autunite

  Autunite is a hydrated calcium and uranium phosphate. It is formed in the oxidation zones of the

• Azurite

  Azurite is, with malachite, one of the two most common minerals of weathering of copper. The

b

• Babingtonite

  Babingtonite is a mineral that contains both ferrous iron (Fe2+) and ferric iron (Fe3+), which

• Barite

  Barite is a barium sulphate. It is a frequent species in the hydrothermal veins of low temperature.

• Bastnäsite

  Bastnäsite-(Ce) is a cerium, lanthanum fluorocarbonate containing also a certain number of

• Behierite

  Behierite is a very rare niobium and tantalum borate which is formed in granitic pegmatites. These

• Beryl

  Beryl is a beryllium aluminosilicate. It constitutes the principal source of beryllium. Its

• Beryllonite

  Beryllonite, whose name indicates the presence of beryllium (Be), is a rare beryllium and sodium

• Betekhtinite

  Betekhtinite is a copper, lead and iron sulphide that is very rare. It is generally presented in

• Brannerite

  Brannerite is an iron, titanium, uranium, calcium and cerium oxide, which one finds in the granitic

• Brazilianite

  Brazilianite is a hydrated sodium aluminophosphate. This hydrothermal mineral is very rare, being

• Brookite

  Brookite is a titanium oxide. It is one of the 3 known modifications of titanium oxide that one

• Brucite

  Brucite is a magnesium hydroxide. It occurs in low temperature hydrothermal veins, near

c

• Calcite

  Calcite is a calcium carbonate crystallizing in the rhomboedric system. This mineral, very abundant

• Canfieldite

  Canfieldite is a silver and tin sulphide, being formed in the lastest stages of polymetallic veins

• Carrollite

  Carrollite is a nickel, cobalt and copper sulfide. It is formed in the metalliferous hydrothermal

• Cassiterite

  Known since the bronze age (approximately -4000 to -1000 years BC), cassiterite is a tin oxide. It

• Caysichite (Y)

  La caysichite (Y) est un silicate carbonate d’yttrium, de calcium et de gadolinium, se formant

• Celestite

  Celestite is a strontium sulphate. It shows crystals prismatic, orthorhombic, pointing out those of

• Cerusite

  Cerusite is a lead carbonate. It is formed on the upper oxidation zones of the lead deposits. It is

• Chalcophyllite

  Chalcophyllite is a hydrated-, complex-, copper and aluminium arsenosulfate. This mineral forms in

• Chalcopyrite

  Chalcopyrite is a copper and iron sulphide which forms in most copper deposits, within high

• Chalcostibite

  Chalcostibite is a copper sulfo-antimonure. It forms in carbonate-rich cavities within antimony and

• Chevkinite (Ce)

  Chevkinite-(Ce) is a complex oxide of calcium, thorium, iron, magnesium, titanium, iron but also of

• Cinnabar

  Cinnabar (mercury sulphide) is a species known since Antiquity. Like arsenic, mercury contained in

• Clinohumite

  Clinohumite is a mineral species that belongs to the humite group, a series of hydrated magnesium,

• Corundum

  Corundum is an aluminium oxide (or "alumina" for the industrials). It is one of the most

• Crocoite

  Crocoite is a rare lead chromate. It can be found only in the oxidation zones of the

• Cuprite

  Cuprite is a copper oxide that is formed by oxidation on the copper sulphide deposits. The crystals

d

• Danburite

  Danburite is a calcium and boron silicate. It forms in granites and in metamorphized carbonated

• Datolite

  Datolite is a hydroxylated calcium and boron silicate. Datolite is formed in basaltic vacuoles. It

• Diamond

  Diamond is a pure carbon compound. It is formed in hypovolcanic ultrabasic rocks called

• Diaspore

  Diaspore is an aluminium hydroxide. It can be found in the laterites (red soils found in tropical

• Dioptase

  Le dioptase est silicate de cuivre. Il se forme dans les zones d'oxydation des gisements de cuivre

• Dolomite

  Dolomite is a double magnesium and calcium carbonate, which is formed in hydrothermal veins and

• Dyscrasite

  La dyscrasite est un sulfosel d’argent et d’antimoine. Elle est

e

• Elbaite

  Elbaite is an hydrated lithium and sodium aluminium borosilicate, belonging to the group of

• Enstatite

  Enstatite is a magnesium silicate (more or less ferrous) belonging to the pyroxenes family of

• Epidote

  L’épidote est un silicate hydroxydé de calcium, de fer et d’aluminium. Ce

• Epistilbite

  Epistilbite is an hydrated calcium aluminosilicate that belongs to the group of zeolites. It is

• Erythrite

  Erythrite is an hydrated cobalt arsenate, formed by the oxidation of cobalt arsenides and

• Euclase

  L’euclase est silicate de béryllium et d'aluminium. Il se forme par

• Eudidymite

  Eudidymite is an hydrated beryllium silicate which is found in rare intrusive igneous rocks,

f

• Famatinite

  La famatinite est un sulfure de cuivre et d’antimoine. Elle se présente souvent sous

• Ferroaxinite

  Ferroaxinite is a calcium and iron silicate, which is formed in metamorphic rocks and pegmatites.

• Ferrotantalite

  Ferrotantalite is a ferrous iron and tantalum oxide which can be found in granitic pegmatites. It

• Fluorapatite

  La fluorapatite (ou apatite (CaF)) est un phosphate de calcium et de fluor. Elle se forme

• Fluorapophyllite

  Fluorapophyllite is a potassium and calcium silicate. It constitutes the fluorinated end-member of

• Fluorite

  Fluorite is a calcium fluoride that is common in the hydrothermal deposits of low temperature where

• Forsterite

  Forsterite is a mineral from the olivine series of minerals, like fayalite. Forsterite and fayalite

• Franckeite

  Franckeite is a lead, iron and tin sulfo-antimonide. It is found in the hydrothermal silver and tin

• Fresnoite

  La fresnoite est un silicate de baryum et de titane. Elle se forme principalement dans les roches

g

• Galena

  Galena is a lead sulphide. It is the principal lead ore whose exploitation started during the

• Gaudefroyite

  La gaudefroyite est un borate carbonaté de calcium et de manganèse. Elle se trouve

• Goethite

  Goethite is an iron hydroxide, which is formed in iron-rich deposits, by weathering of minerals

• Goosecreekite

  Goosecreekite is a rare hydrated calcium aluminosilicate, which belongs to the zeolites group.

• Gormanite

  Gormanite is a hydrated iron and aluminum phosphate, which is formed in the hydrothermal veins (low

• Grossulaire

  Grossular is a aluminocalcic silicate of the garnets family. Natural garnets constitute a family of

• Gypsum

  Gypsum is an hydrated calcium sulphate. It rather frequently shows a twin that known as

h

• Henritermierite

  Henritermierite belongs to the group of garnets: it is a silicate with the rather rare trivalent

• Herderite

  L'herdérite est un phosphate de calcium, de béryllium et de fluor. C’est un

i

j

• Jeremejevite

  Jeremejevite is a hydrated aluminum borate. It is formed under magmatic hydrothermal conditions

k

• Kainosite (Y)

  Kainosite-(Y) is a rare hydrated carbonato-silicate of calcium, yttrium and cerium, only found in

• Kermesite

  Kermesite is an antimony oxysulfide, resulting from the oxidation of stibnite (Sb2S3). The crystals

• Kosnarite

  Kosnarite is a rare potassium and zirconium phosphate. It is a mineral formed during the latest

• Kyanite

  Kyanite (called in the past disthène) is an aluminosilicate. It is formed in metamorphic

l

• Liddicoatite

  Liddicoatite is a rare tourmaline species. It is an aluminoborosilicate which is rich in calcium and

• Liottite

  La liottite est un silicate se formant dans les cavités de blocs éjectés de

m

• Magnesite

  Magnesite is a magnesium carbonate which belongs to the group of calcite. It forms a series with

• Malachite

  Malachite is a hydrated copper carbonate, just like the azurite with which one finds it often

• Mangano-neptunite

  Mangano-neptunite is the manganesian end-member of neptunite (Na2 K Li (Fe2+, Mn2+)2 Ti2 [ Si8O24

• Meneghinite

  Meneghinite is a copper and lead sulfo-antimonure. This mineral is formed by hydrothermalism, within

• Mesolite

  Mesolite is an hydrated aluminium, calcium and sodium silicate. It is formed within the cavities of

• Microcline

  The microcline is a potassic feldspar: it is thus a potassium aluminosilicate although it can also

• Montebrasite

  Montebrasite is a lithium aluminophosphate, which is formed in pegmatites enriched in lithium (Li).

n

• Native copper

  Native copper is one of rare metals has to be in a native state (pure or almost) in nature. It is

• Native gold

  Native gold consists of nearly pure gold. It is, at the same time, a mineral and a very prospected

• Native silver

  Native silver is a mineral made up quasi-exclusively with silver. It is formed in polymetallic

• Natrolite

  Natrolite is a hydrated sodium aluminosilicate, belonging to the family of zeolites. It is the most

o

• Opal

  Opal is a hydrated variety of silica, resulting of a complex mixture of tridymite and/or hydrated

• Orpiment

  Orpiment is a yellow arsenic sulphide (As2S3) known since the Antiquity. Arsenic conditions the

• Orthose

  Une orthose est un minéral de la famille des feldspaths potassiques. L'orthose est

p

• Papagoite

  Papagoïte is a hydrated copper and calcium aluminosilicate that one finds in weathered

• Paravauxite

  Paravauxite is a rare hydrated ferro-iron aluminophosphate of hydrothermal origins. In granitic

• Pentagonite

  Pentagonite is a calcium and vanadium silicate. This species is formed within vesicles, faults and

• Petalite

  Petalite is a lithium aluminosilicate that is formed in the granitic pegmatites. Although it is a

• Pezzottaïte

  Pezzottaïte is a cesium, beryllium and lithium aluminosilicate, which is formed in granitic

• Phenakite

  Resembling quartz when it is colourless, phenakite is a beryllium silicate. This mineral remained

• Platinum

  Platinum is formed in the deposits related to ultrabasic eruptive magmatic rocks. The cubic

• Pollucite

  Pollucite is a mineral that is encountered in pegmatites enriched in lithium. It is the cesian

• Prehnite

  Prehnite is a hydrated aluminium and calcium silicate. It is formed in the hydrothermal contexts of

• Pyrargyrite

  Pyrargyrite is a silver sulfo-antimonide that belongs, like proustite (its arsenious equivalent),

• Pyromorphite

  Pyromorphite is a lead chlorophosphate which, like anglesite and cerusite, is a mineral present in

q

• Quartz

  Very widespread on the surface of the Earth, quartz is a silicon oxide which one names also silica.

r

• Rankachite

  Rankachite is an hydrated calcium and iron vanado-tungstate. It forms as a result of the weathering

• Realgar

  Realgar is an arsenic sulphide, but richer in arsenic than orpiment. It is a hydrothermal mineral,

• Rhodochrosite

  Rhodochrosite is a relatively rare manganese carbonate. Its beautiful pink-red colour is very

• Rhodonite

  Rhodonite is most frequent of the manganese silicates. It is found in the manganese deposits formed

• Roselite

  Roselite is a rare hydrated calcium, magnesium and cobalt arsenate that is very appreciated by

• Rutile

  Rutile is a titanium oxide that is present in high temperature and high pressure igneous rocks. It

s

• Saphirine

  Sapphirine is an aluminium, iron and magnesium silicate. It forms in metamorphic rocks of high

• Schoenfliesite

  Schoenfliesite is a tin and magnesium hydroxide, formed by weathering within zones of contact

• Schorl

  Schorl is a mineral that belongs to the group of tourmalines. Schorls are hydrated

• Sellaite

  Sellaite is a rare magnesium fluoride. When crystallized, it is presented as small acicular or

• Serandite

  Serandite is a rare hydrated calcium, sodium and manganese silicate. Its prismatic crystals are

• Serendibite

  Serendibite is a magnesium and calcium alumino-boro-silicate. It forms in skarns (limestones having

• Siderite

  Siderite is an iron carbonate of the calcite family. It is formed in the hydrothermal veins of

• Sillimanite

  Sillimanite is an aluminosilicate, which is polymorphic to kyanite and andalusite (i.e. even

• Spinel

  Spinel is an magnesium and aluminium oxide. But it is also the name of a group of minerals of

• Spodumene

  Spodumene is a lithium aluminosilicate. It is found in lithium-rich pegmatites in which spodumene

• Stolzite

  Stolzite is a rare lead tungstate, being formed by oxidation of hydrothermal deposits containing

• Suredaite

  Suredaite is a rare tin and lead sulphide, which was recently discovered (in 2000). This mineral

t

• Titanite

  Titanite (in the past named sphene) is a titanium and calcium silicate. This is a mineral formed in

• Topaz

  Topaz is a rare fluorinated and hydrated aluminosilicate, which can be a semi precious stone

• Tremolite

  Tremolite is a mineral of the amphiboles family, i.e. silicates hydrated whose silicates ions are

u

• Uvite

  Uvite belongs to the group of tourmalines. Uvite is a hydrated borosilicate of calcium, iron and

v

• Vanadinite

  Vanadinite is an unfrequent lead chlorovanadate. It can be found in the oxidation zones of the lead

• Vesuvianite

  Vesuvianite (also called idocrase) is a silicate of aluminium, iron, calcium and magnesium. It is a

w

• Wulfïenite

  Wulfenite is a lead molybdate. It is an oxydation mineral of the molybdenum and lead deposits.

x

y

z

• Zoisite

  Zoisite is a hydrated calcium aluminosilicate. It is formed under the effect of a regional

• Zvyagintsevite

  Zvyagintsevite is a mineral containing 3 noble metals (platinum, gold and palladium) as well as