RESEARCH NOTES: Study of Rock-Forming Minerals

CAYABYAB, MARK JOHN LLOYD T.

TOPIC 3: Study of Rock-Forming Minerals

 Rock-forming minerals are minerals that are commonly found in the Earth’s crust and are responsible for the formation of
various types of rocks. These minerals make up the majority of the Earth’s crust and are the building blocks of rocks, which
are aggregates of minerals. Rock-forming minerals are typically silicate minerals, which are composed of silicon (Si) and
oxygen (O), along with other elements such as aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na),
iron (Fe), and others. These minerals are typically solid, crystalline, and naturally occurring, and they play a crucial role in
the geology and geosciences, as they help scientists understand the processes that shape the Earth’s crust, such as igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic processes. rock-forming minerals are: Quartz Family, Feldspar Family, Augite,
Hornblende, Biotite, Muscovite, Calcite and Garnet.

 To be considered a common rock-forming mineral, a mineral must:

A) be one of the most abundant minerals in Earth’s crust;

B) be one of the original minerals present at the time of a crustal rock’s formation; and,

C) be an important mineral in determining a rock’s classification.

3.A. QUARTZ FAMILY

Sub-topic 1: What is Quartz?

Key Points:

 Quartz is a chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen. It is silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is the
most abundant mineral found at Earth's surface, and its unique properties make it one of the most useful natural
substances.

Sub-topic 2: MACROCRYSTALLINE QUARTZ

Key Points:

a) Rock Crystal Quartz - Transparent "rock crystal" quartz. Rock crystal is the ideal image of quartz.
b) Amethyst Quartz- Purple crystalline quartz is known as "amethyst”. It is the most important and best known gem
variety of quartz.
c) Ametrine Quartz- Ametrine is a quartz that has alternating violet and yellow segments in the crystal. The name is
just a combination of amethyst and citrine.

d) Aventurine Quartz - It is a rock, either quartzite or gangue quartz, that contains other minerals beside quartz
grains, usually mica minerals which give its metallic sheen.
e) Blue Quartz- is simply macrocrystalline quartz that is blue. The blue quartz is one of the most important healing
stones in the world.
f) Citrine Quartz - Citrine is a transparent, yellow macrocrystalline quartz variety. When illuminated directly from
the front, the crystal appears very dark and almost green. But when the crystal is illuminated from behind, its real
color is revealed: a deep and homogeneously distributed yellow.
g) Eisenkiesel or Ferruginous Quartz - is a quartz that is more or less evenly colored in yellow, red, or brown
inclusions of iron compounds tones by, usually iron oxides and hydrous iron oxides.
h) Milky Quartz - is a crystalline quartz that is white and translucent to almost opaque. Milky quartz is used in many
fine ornamental carvings and the fluid inclusions can give milky quartz an attractive greasy luster.
i) Rose Quartz - It is found in abundance around the world and occurs only in massive form, with no crystal faces,
edges or terminations. Crystal of Unconditional Love.
j) Prase Quartz - is a leek-green Quartzite (rock rather than a mineral) with actinolite inclusions; an" earth mother"
stone.
 k) Prasiolite Quartz - Prasiolite is a transparent green quartz. It is a rare stone in nature; artificially produced
prasiolite is heat treated amethyst.
l) Smoky Quartz - is a brown to gray color, translucent variety of quartz that ranges in clarity from almost complete
transparency to an almost-opaque brownish-gray or black crystal.
m) Tiger’s Eye - The crocidolite fibers appear to have been fully replaced by quartz and the hydrous iron oxide
goethite, (FeOOH), the latter being responsible for the yellow-brown color.
n) Hawk’s Eye - is a partially silicified fibrous blue-gray crocidolite asbestos, so its fibrous structure is due to
embedded fibers of crocidolite in quartz. It is usually very dark and almost opaque.
o) Cat's eye Quartz - is a macrocrystalline variety of the mineral quartz, the most abundant single mineral on earth.
p) Chatoyance - All "eyes" show a wavy pattern of parallel lines that seem to move when the stone is turned. This
effect is named chatoyance because its look resembles an eye of a cat. The chatoyance is a result of the fibrous
structure of tiger's eye, hawk's eye, and cat's eye.

Sub-topic 3: MICROCRYSTALLINE QUARTZ - FIBROUS VARIETIES

Key Points:

a) Agate - does not have a homogeneous structure, like a crystal, and it usually isn't even made of a single type of
mineral. It resembles a rock made up of different components in varying proportions.

b) Carnelian - is classified by its distinct color and is defined as a red-orange to brownish-red variety of chalcedony
quartz.

c) Chalcedony- A dense, translucent material of white, gray or bluish color and homogeneous appearance, and waxy
luster.

d) Chrysoprase - is a green chalcedony. It is quite rare and thus one of the more valuable quartz varieties. It contains
small quantities of nickel.

e) Onyx - is simply a black-and-white agate. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only
in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands.

f) Plasma - is a more or less evenly leek-green, slightly translucent to opaque chalcedony. Plasma forms nodules and
amygdules in volcanic rocks. It can also be found as vein fillings.

g) Sard - is a variety of chalcedony whose color varies from yellow to brown. It is an impure fine-grained quartz
whose crystals are too small to see. While technically translucent, it often appears nearly opaque.

Sub-topic 4: MICROCRYSTALLINE QUARTZ - GRAINY VARIETIES

Key Points:

a) Chert - is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of crystals of quartz that are very small. Chert breaks
with a conchoidal fracture, often producing very sharp edges.

b) Jasper - is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue, it can
be highly polished and is used for items such as vases, seals, and snuff boxes.

c) Heliotrope - is an opaque dark-green chalcedony with blood-like spots and thus considered a variety of jasper. It is
also known as bloodstone.

3.B. FELDSPARS FAMILY

Sub-topic 1: What is Feldspar?

Key Points:
 a) Feldspar - is the name of a large group of rock-forming silicate minerals that make up over 50% of Earth’s crust. They
are found in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks in all parts of the world.

Sub-topic 2: PLAGIOCLASE FELDSPAR

Key Points:

 The Plagioclase series is a group of related feldspar minerals that essentially have the same formula but vary in their
percentage of sodium and calcium.

a) Albite - is a very common mineral, and is an important rock-forming mineral. Crystals are translucent to opaque and
only sometimes transparent.
b) Oligoclase - is not a well-known mineral but has been used as a semi-precious stone under the names of sunstone
and moonstone. Used in the manufacture of glass, enamel, and porcelain.
c) Andesine - is only a minor constituent in most granites and syenites. Crystals are translucent to transparent. Color is
mostly white or gray.
d) Labradorite - is truly a fascinatingly beautiful mineral. Labradorite can produce a colorful play of light across
cleavage planes and in sliced sections called labradorescence.
e) Bytownite - is a rarer form of feldspar, more commonly seen as a faceted gemstone then as a collector’s mineral. It
is usually translucent without a crystal form.
f) Anorthite - is an end member and one of the rarer members of the plagioclase series. A northite is found in
maficigneous rocks. Anorthite is rare on the Earth but abundant on the Moon.

Sub-topic 3: FELDSPAR OR ALKALI FELDSPAR

Key Points:

a. K Feldspar or Alkali Feldspar- refers to a number of minerals in the feldspar group, and containing potassium
b. Microcline - is an important igneous rock-forming tecto silicate mineral. Microcline is used industrially in the
production of glass and ceramic products. Sometimes feldspar is also used in the manufacture of glass.
c. Sanidine - A high-temperature form of potassium aluminosilicate that sometimes occurs in surface rocks. Sanidine
forms colourless or white, glassy, transparent crystals in acidic volcanic rocks. It is also called as glassy feldspar.
d. Orthoclae - It is one of the most abundant rock-forming minerals of the continental crust. Orthoclase is most
widely known as the pink feldspar found in many granites.