COMMON ROCK

FORMING MINERALS
Silicate minerals are common rock forming minerals they
constitute about 95% of the earths crust. The important silicate
minerals are feldspar, felspathoid, quartz, pyroxene,
amphiboles, micas, and olivines and other minerals are garnet,
chlorite, serpentine, aluminum silicates, calcium, etc.
Felspar group

The feldspar are the most abundant of all minerals. They fall into
two main series
1. K-Na feldspar, called the “alkali feldspar” or Orthhoclase.
2. Ca-Na feldspar called the “plagioclase feldspar”.
All feldspar show closely related physical properties.
• Cleavage- good in tow direction at 90 degree
• Hardness – 6
• Specific gravity – 2.55 to 2.63
• Lusture – Vitreous
• Color – White, grey, pink, or green.
• Habit – tabular.
• Use – In the manufacturig of porcelain.
Orthoclase Plagioclase
K-Felspar. The important member of this group are Orthoclase and
Microcline. Each of these has the composition KAlSi3O8 but orthoclase
crystallize in the orthorhombic system and microcline in the triclinic system.
Potash feldspar alter readily into clay minerals, especially kaolinite.

Plagioclase feldspar. The plagioclase feldspar from a complete solution

series from pure albite NaAlSi3O8 to pure anorthite CaAl2Si2O8 . The
important Intermediate member are oligoclase, andesine, labradorite,
bytownite.

Albite Oloigoclase Andecite Labradorite Bytownite Anorthite

0 10 30 50 70 90 100
An 0 An 10 An 30 An 50 An 70 An 90 An 100
Ab100 Ab 90 Ab 70 Ab 50 Ab 30 Ab 10 Ab 0
Albite crstel Albite agrigate
Oloigoclase
Andecite rock
Labradorite

Labradorite gem mineral

 Bytownite

Bytownite crystal
Anorthite crystal Usually Anorthite in nature
OCCURRENCE
• The alkali feldspars which include orthoclase, microcline and albite, are
commonly found I igneous rocks, such as granites, pegmatite, syenites,
rhyolites and trachytes.
• Oligoclase is commonly found in granodiorites and monzonites.
• Labradorite is a common constituent of gabbros, basalts and aorthosites.
FELSPATHOID GROUP
The felspathoids are anhydrous fremwork siliates. They contain less silica than
feldspars. The important member of this group are naphaline, leucite and
sodalite.

Nephaline (Na,K)AlSiO4
Crystal system - hexagoal
Cleavage – poor
Lustre – vitreous to greasy
Color – colorless, white, grey or yellowish
Habit – massive
Ocurrance – mostly in nephaline syenites
Use – in the manufacturing of glass and ceramics
LEUCITE KAlSi2O6
Crystal system – cubic and tetragonal
Cleavage – very poor
Hardness – 5.5 to 6
[Link]. – 2.47 to 2.50
Lustre – vitreous
Color – colorless to grey
Habit – trapezohedral
Ocurrance – in volcanic rocks only
Use – in the manufacturing of glass and ceramics
SODALITE Na8(AlSiO4)6Cl2

Crystal system - cubic

Cleavage – poor
Lustre – vitreous
Hardness – 5.5 to 6
[Link]. – 2.15 to 2.3
Color – blue, also white, grey, green.
Habit – commonly massive
Ocurrance – with nephaline in nephline syenites
Silica Group
Quartz : SiO2
Crystal system - hexagonal.
Cleavage - absent.
Hardness - 7.
Sp. gr. - 2.65.
Fracture - conchoidal.
Lustre - vitreous.
Colour - colourless, white or with a wide range of tints.
Habit - prismatic crystals or massive.
The important varieties of quartz are :
(i) "Rock crystal" - Colourless quartz, commonly in distinct crystals.
(ii)"Amethyst " - Transparent quartz with purple colour.
(iii)"Smoky quartz " - Colour in shades of grey or brown.
(iv)"Rose quartz" - Colour a red-rose or pink.
(v)"Milky quartz" - Colour milky white. Cryptocrystalline forms of quartz are :
(a) "Chalcedony" - Waxy lustre and botryoidal from.
(b) "Agate " - A banded variety with layers Of chalcedony having different colours.
(c) "Jasper" Red chalcedony stained by hematite.
(d) "Flint" - Dark gray siliceous nodules.
(e) “Chert” Light coloured massive quartz.
( j ) "Opal" An-amorphous variety of quartz (Si02.nH20).
Quartz Rock amorphous crystal Quartz Rock crystal
Amethyst geoed Amethyst crystal
Smoky quartz crystal Smoky quartz
Rose quartz Rose quartz crystal
Milky quartz Milky quartz crystal
Occurrence.
Quartz occurs in most igneous, metamorphic and Sedimentary rocks. Some sandstones and
quartzites are composed almost entirely of quartz. It is also found abundantly as a gangue
mineral in mineral veins.

Uses :
(l) Coloured varieties are used as semiprecious stone.
(ii) In the form of sand it is used as construction material.
(iii) Quartz is used as a flux or abrasive in industries.
(iv) Quartz crystals are used as oscillators in electrical equipment's, such as watches.
Pyroxene Group
Pyroxenes form an important group of rock forming minerals. They have a general
formula X2Si2O6 in which X is usually Mg, Fe, Al, Ca, or Na. Some aluminium may, partly
replace silicon. The common pyroxenes are Ca, Mg and Fe silicates. They are characterized
by two cleavages which intersect almost at right angles. Pyroxenes are broadly divided into
two groups : (i) ortho-pyroxenes, and (ii) clino-pyroxencs.

Orthopyroxenes. These pyroxenes crystallize in the orthorhombic system and contain

very little calcium. The "enstatite" (MgSiO3) and "hypersthene" [(Mg, Fe) SiO3)] belong
to this group.
Enstatite MgSiO3
Hypersthene (Mg, Fe) SiO3
 Crystal System - orthorhombic.
Cleavage - good.
Hardness – 5.5 - 6,
Sp. gr. - 3.2 - 3.6.
Lustre - vitreous.
Colour - grayish, yellowish or greenish.
Habit - massive or lamellar.

Occurrence.
Magnesium rich orthopyroxenes are a common constituents of peridotites, gabbros,
norites and basalts. They are found associated with augite, olivine and plagioclase. The
orthopyroxenes alter to serpentinous products or fibrous amphibole.
Diopside : CaMgSi2O6
Hedenbergite : CaFeSi2O6
 Clinopyroxenes. These pyroxenes crystallize in the monoclinic system and
contain either calcium or Na, Al, Fe (ferric) or Li. "Diopside "hedenbergite"
and "augite" are the important members of this group.
Diopside CaMgSi2O6
Hedenbergite CaFeSi2O6
Augite (Ca,Na) (Fe,Mg,Al) (Al,Si)2O6
Augite: (Ca, Na) (Mg, Fe, Al) (Al, Si)2 O6

Crystal System - monoclinic.

Cleavage - at 870 and 930, imperfect.
Hardness - 5 - 6.
Sp. gr. - 3.2 - 3.3.
Lustre - vitreous.
Colour - white to light green in diopside, deepens with increase of iron. Augite is black.
Habit - crystals show square or eight-sided cross-section. Also granular, massive and
lamellar.
Occurrence. Diopside and hedenbergite occur in metarnorphic rocks. Augite occurs in
gabbros, basalts, diorites and some syenites.
 Amphibole group
The amphiboles contain hydroxyl groups in the structure. The angle between two sets
of cleavages is 124o and is characteristic of amphiboles. "Trenaolite " (hydrous silicate
of Ca and Mg), "actinolite" (hydrous silicate of Ca, Mg and Fe) and "hornblende"
(hydrous silicate of Na, Ca, Fe and Al) are the important members of amphibole group.
Tremolite : Ca2Mg5Si8O22 (OH)2
Actinolite : Ca2(Mg, Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2
Crystal System - monoclinic.
Cleavage - perfect.
Hardness - 5-6.
Sp. gr. - 3.0-3.3.
Lustre - vitreous or silky.
Color - white or gray in tremolite and green in actinolite.
Habit - termolite is often bladed and sometimes in silky fibres. Actinolite is often in
radiating aggregate. Also fibrous.
Tremolite

Tremolite

Actinolite
 Occurrence. These minerals are commonly found in metamorphic rocks. Tremolite
occurs in metamorphosed dolomitic limestones and actinolite is a charactersticminer . f the
greenschish facies of metamorphism.
Uses. The fibrous varieties are used as asbestos.
Hornblende : (Ca,Na)2-3 (Mg, Fe, Al)5Si6 (SiA1)2 O22 (OH)2
Crystal System - monoclinic.
Cleavage - good prismatic.
Hardness - 5-6.
Sp. gr. - 3.0-3.4.
Lustre - vitreous.
Colour - dark green to black.
Habit - crystals with six sided cross-section, also massive or granular.
Occurrence. Hornblede is an important rock forming mineral. It occurs commonly in
syenites and diorites. It is a major mineral of amphibolites.
Mica Group
There are two common varieties of mica : (i) "muscovite " which is rich in aluminium,
and (ii) "biotite" which is rich in iron and magnesium. The physical properties of both the
micas are similar. They crystallize in the monoclinic system and have one perfect basal
cleavage. They occur in foliated form and the mineral can be split into thin elastic sheets.

Muscovite : KAl2 (AlSi3O10) (OH)2

Crystal System - monoclinic.
Cleavage - perfect basal.
Hardess – 2 – 2.5
Sp. gr. - 2.76 - 2.88.
Lustre - pearly or silky.
Colour - colourless, pale, shade of green and brown. Transparent in thin sheets.
Habit -usually tabular crystals, foliated.
Biotite Muscovite
Occurrence.
Muscovite is a characterstic mineral of granites and granite-pegmatite. In pegmatites
large crystals of muscovite are found. Muscovite is also common in schists and gneisses.
Uses.
Muscovite is widely used for insulation as a dielectric in electrical industry. Ground mica
is used as a filler. Muscovite is also used for heat resistant supports md windows.
Biotite : K(MgFe)3 (AlSi3O10) (OH)2
Costal System - monoclinic.
Cleavage -perfect basal.
Hardness – 2
Sp. gr. - 2.8 - 3.2.
Lustre - pearly or splendent.
Colour - dark green, brown to black.
Habit - usually in irregular foliated masses.
Occurrence. Biotite is found in granites, syenites, mica-lamprophyres, gneisses and
schists.
Olivine Group
This group includes a series of minerals that crystallize in the orthorhombic system. These
minerals range in composition from 'forsterite " Mg2SiO4 to "fayalite", Fe2SiO4. The
composition of common olivine is (Mg, Fe)2 SiO4.
Olivine : (Mg, Fe)2 SiO4
Crystal System - orthorhombic.
Fracture - conchoidal.
Hardness - 61/2 - 7.
Sp. gr. - 3.27 - 4.37.
Lustre - vitreous.
Colour - pale, yellow green or olive green.
Habit – granular.
Occurrence. Olivine occurs mainly in the dark coloured igneous rocks such as gabbro,
peridotite and basalt. The rock, dunite is made up almost wholly of olivine. Olivine alters
very readily to serpentine.
Olivine crystal
Olivine rich rock Olivine Gem varity mineral
 Garnet Group
The garnets comprise a group of isomorphus minerals with the general formula X3Y2
(SiO4)3, where x may be Ca, Mg, Mn or Fe2+ and Y may be Al, Cr + or Fe3 +. The common
garnets are : (1) "Pyrope ", Mg3Al2Si3O12 (ii) "Abnandite ", Fe3A12Si3O12, (iii) "Spessartite ",
Mn3A12Si3O12 and (iv) "Grossularite Ca3A12Si3O12.
Crystal System -cubic.
Cleavage - absent.
Fracture - uneven.
Hardness -6.5 – 7.5.
Sp. gr. - 3.5 - 4.3.
Lustre - vitreous to resinous.
Colour - varying with composition. Most commonly red, also brown, yellow or green.
Streak - white.
Habit - dodecahedral crystals common, also granular.
Occurrence. Garnets occur abundantly in some metamorphic rocks such as mica-schists,
hornblende -schists, and gneisses. They also occur as an accessory mineral in some igneous
rocks.
Uses. Transparent varieties are used as gem stones. Garnets are also used as an abrasive.

Garnet Gem varity minerals

Garnet minerals
 Chlorite Group
The chlorite group includes a number of minerals which have similar physical properties.
The important mineral of this group is "chlorite.
Chlorite : (Mg,Fe,Al)6(Al, Si)4O10(OH)8
Crystal System - monoclinic.
Cleavage - perfect basal.
Hardness - 2 - 214.
[Link]. - 2.6 - 3.3.
Lustre - vitreous, resinous or dull.
Colour - green of various shades.
Habit - usually foliated masses.
Occurrence. Chlorite is a common mineral in low grade metamorphic rocks, such as chlorite-
schists. In igneous rocks it occurs as an atteration product of pyroxenes, amphiboles and
biotite.
 Chlorite rock

Chlorite with Garnet mineral