Photos and information about 80 common rock-forming, ore and gemstone minerals from around the world.

There are approximately 4000 different minerals, and each of those minerals has a unique set of physical properties. These include: color, streak, hardness, luster, diaphaneity, specific gravity, …

Most of Earth’s crust is comprised of a small number of minerals. These minerals are known as the common rock-forming minerals.

Diorite is usually composed of sodium-rich plagioclase with lesser amounts of hornblende, biotite, and pyroxene minerals. It usually contains little if any quartz.

Hunt For Gems - Keep What You Find! There are over 100 mines in the United States where anyone can visit, pay a small fee, look for gems and minerals, and keep what they find. For a …

Up until the 1860s, mineralogists thought that all jade was the same; then they discovered that two minerals with slightly different properties, jadeite and nephrite, were both used as jade.

The best way to learn about minerals is to study with a collection of small specimens that you can handle, examine, and observe their properties. Inexpensive mineral collections are available in …

A small number of minerals and rocks will glow with spectacular colors under ultraviolet light. Learn how this happens.

An introduction to rocks and minerals with detailed photos, description and identification information. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, and …

Home » Metals » REE - Rare Earth Elements REE - Rare Earth Elements and their Uses The demand for rare earth elements has grown rapidly, but their occurrence in minable deposits is …