FELDSPAR MINERALS

FELDSPAR
MINERALS

the most abundant mineral group.

any group of aluminosilicate minerals that
contain calcium, sodium, or potassium.
is found in many igneous, sedimentary and
and metamorphic rocks.
Potassium
feldspar

a group of feldspar minerals

contains potassium ions in its
crystalline structure
potassium feldspar
potassium feldspar
showing cleavage
crystal (orthoclase)
(orthoclase)
Plagioclase
feldspar

contains calcium and/or sodium ions.

is the primarily aluminium-bearing
mineral in mafic rocks formed at
lowpressure.
 sodium-rich plagioclase feldspars
plagioclase feldspar showing striation
(albite) (labradorite)
All feldspar minerals have two directions of cleavage that
meet at 90-degree angles and are relatively hard (6 on the
mohs scale). The only reliable way to physically
differentiate the feldspar is to look for striations that are
on some cleavage surfaces of plagioclase feldspar but do
not appear in potassium feldspar.
QUARTZ AND ITS
VARIETIES
Quartz
is a major constituent of many igneous,
sediments, and metamorphic rocks.
found in a wide variety of color (caused of
impurities)
7 in the mohs scale.
 VARIETIES OF QUARTZ
Smoky quartz Rose quartz

commonly found in coarse owes its color to small

grained igneous rocks. amount titanium
 VARIETIES OF QUARTZ
Milky quartz Jasper

often occurs in the veins is a variety of quartz

that occasionally contains composed of minute
gold. crystals.
Pure quartz are clear, and if
allowed to grow without
interference, this will
develop hexagonal crystals
with pyramid-shaped ends.
Muscovite
is an abundant member of mica family and has
excellent cleavage in one direction.
its relatively soft (2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale).
Clay minerals
are light silicate that typically form as product
of chemical weathering of igneous rocks.
they make up much of the surface material we
call soil.
half of the volume of sedimentary rocks is
composed of clay material.
one of the examples of clay minerals is kaolinite

Kaolinite
a common clay mineral formed by the weathering of
feldspar mineals.