Alabaster

Alabaster, AL uh bas tuhr, is the name of two types of fine-grained white rocks that look similar... More >>

Alumina

Alumina, uh LOO muh nuh, also called aluminum oxide, is a compound composed of aluminum and... More >>

Amphibole

Amphibole, AM fuh bohl, is any one of a large group of relatively hard minerals found in many... More >>

Asbestos

Asbestos, as BEHS tuhs, is any of a group of soft, threadlike mineral fibers. Asbestos has many... More >>

Azurite

Azurite, AZH uh ryt, is a blue mineral that contains copper. Azurite is mined as a copper ore,... More >>

Bauxite

Bauxite, BAWK syt, is the ore from which almost all aluminum is produced. Bauxite contains large... More >>

Beryl

Beryl, BEHR uhl, is a hard mineral composed of beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. Although... More >>

Calcite

Calcite is a mineral that occurs in small amounts in most types of rocks and makes up the largest... More >>

Chalcocite

Chalcocite, KAL kuh syt, is a mineral made up of copper and sulfur. It is shiny and lead-gray... More >>

Corundum

Corundum, kuh RUHN duhm, is the second hardest pure mineral. Only diamond is harder. Corundum... More >>

Dolomite

Dolomite, DOL uh myt, is a mineral that serves as the chief source of magnesium obtained from the... More >>

Feldspar

Feldspar is the name of a group of minerals that make up about 60 per cent of the earth's crust.... More >>

Flint

Flint is a hard rock that ranges in color from brown to dark gray to black. It consists of tiny... More >>

Fluorite

Fluorite, FLOO uh ryt, also called fluorspar or fluor, is a common mineral composed of calcium... More >>

Glauconite

Glauconite, GLAW kuh nyt, is a bright green mineral that looks like tiny flakes of the mineral... More >>