Sunstone: The feldspar gemstone Sunstone information and pictures
Sunstone is an interesting feldspar gemstone with a glittery appearance and usually an orange or reddish color, hence its name. The glitter effect is caused by inclusions of the mineral Hematite, or sometimes also Goethite or Pyrite (and in one rare instance, Copper).The term used to describe the glittery effect exhibited on Sunstone is …
Pegmatite: Igneous Rock
Pegmatite is often mined for industrial minerals. Large sheets of mica are mined from pegmatite. These are used to make components for electronic devices, retardation plates, circuit boards, optical filters, detector …
Amazonite: The gemstone Amazonite information and pictures
Amazonite is a translucent to opaque feldspar gemstone with a pretty green color. It is the greenish variety of the mineral Microcline.Amazonite is named after the Amazon River of South America. There are no Amazonite deposits that exist in the Amazon region, so presumably this stone is named to its resemblance in color to the green of the tropical …
Feldspars
feldspars The most important group of rock-forming silicate minerals, including the alkali feldspars KAlSi 3 O 8 to NaAlSi 3 O 8 (K-feldspar to albite) and the plagioclase feldspars NaAlSi 3 O 8 to CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 (albite to anorthite).The potassium, sodium, and calcium end-members can be taken to represent the three apices of an …
Orthoclase: The gemstone yellow Orthoclase information and pictures
Orthoclase as a mineral is a common feldspar, but when described as a gemstone it refers to a rare transparent yellowish form of the mineral Sanidine that is found in Madagascar. Until recently, this gemstone was though to be Orthoclase, and only recently have analyses determined it as being Sanidine.Despite this, it is still called Orthoclase on the …
Sunstone Gemstone | Sunstone Stone – GIA Gem …
Facts. Mineral: Feldspar; Chemical composition: Orthoclase - KAlSi 3 O 8; Oligoclase and labradorite - solid solution between NaAlSi 3 O 8 and CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8; Color: Yellow, green, red, red-brown, colorless; Refractive Index: Orthoclase sunstone - 1.518 to 1.526; Oligoclase sunstone - 1.537 to 1.547; Labradorite sunstone - 1.559 to 1.568 ...
Microcline Mineral Information photos and …
Microclin e Mineral Facts:. Chemical Formula: KAlSi 3 O 8 A silicate of aluminum and potassium, the formula for microcline is the same as orthoclase, Silica 64.7%, alumina 18.4%, potash 16.9%. A Potash …
Albite: The plagioclase feldspar mineral Albite information & pictures
Albite belongs to the Plagioclase Feldspar group, an isomorphous solid solution series.Albite is one end member, containing sodium and no calcium. The other end member, Anorthite, contains calcium and no sodium.The intermediary members are Oligoclase, Andesine, Labradorite, and Bytownite.Oligoclase and Andesine are …
The 12 Different Types Of Feldspar (With High-Quality Photos)
feldspar, any of a group of aluminosilicate minerals that contain calcium, sodium, or potassium. Feldspars make up more than half of Earth's crust, and …
Feldspar Group Minerals | Types, Properties, Occurrence, Uses
Feldspar is the name of a large organization of rock-forming silicate minerals that make up over 50% of Earth's crust. They are discovered in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks in all components of the sector. Feldspar minerals have very comparable structures, chemical compositions, and bodily properties.
What is Moonstone Gemstone? Value, Price, and Color
Moonstone crystal showing adularescence, Mt. Adular, Tessin, Switzerland, 7 x 6.5 cm. Photo by Didier Duens.Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.. Adularescence is caused by the diffraction of light as it hits thin, alternating layers of orthoclase and albite within the gem. This produces the appearance of a floating, cloud-like, blue to white light inside the gem.
Labradorite: The feldspar mineral Labradorite information and pictures
Labradorite is an unusual mineral. It can display a beautiful iridescent play of colors, caused by internal fractures in the mineral that reflect light back and forth, dispersing it into different colors. This effect, known as labradorescence, gives Labradorite its appeal and fame.Specimens sold to collectors are usually polished or sliced by dealers to fully bring …
Pictures and Descriptions of Igneous Rock Types
Andrew Alden/Flickr. Basalt is an extrusive or intrusive rock that makes up most of the world's oceanic crust. This specimen erupted from Kilauea volcano in 1960. Basalt is fine grained so the individual minerals are not visible, but they include pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, and olivine.These minerals are visible in the coarse-grained, …
Feldspar Meaning, Healing Properties, Color, Power & Facts
Feldspar Mineral- Meaning, Color, Facts, Power, Mythology, History And Myths. Feldspar gemstones (silicate minerals) are certainly delightful gifts from nature that occur as rock-forming minerals. Yes! You got it right! Felspar is not actually a single gemstone but a gem group that can be classified into plagioclase, microcline and orthoclase ...
Feldspar Group Minerals | Types, Properties, …
Modified date: 23/04/2023. Feldspar is the name of a large organization of rock-forming silicate minerals that make up over 50% of Earth's crust. They are discovered in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks in all …
Rhyolite: Identification, Pictures & Info for Rockhounds
Rhyolite is made from large amounts of quartz and alkali feldspar, with smaller amounts of plagioclase feldspar. The mineral composition of rhyolite consists of 20% to 60% quartz, and 35% to 90% of the total feldspar must be alkali feldspar. Dark, mafic minerals make up less than 15% of the rock volume.
Mineral Properties, Photos, Uses and Descriptions
Photos and information about 80 common rock-forming, ore and gemstone minerals from around the world. ... Feldspar Fluorite Fuchsite Galena Garnet Gaspeite Gold Graphite Gypsum Halite Hematite Hemimorphite Hornblende Ilmenite …
Quartz: The mineral Quartz information and pictures
Lustrous, doubly terminated, and often stubby crystals come from the Mohawk Valley region of central New York, in an area covered by parts of Herkimer, Montgomery, and Fulton Counties.Quartz crystals from this region are affectionately known as Herkimer Diamonds, and are highly collectible and very popular with both novice and expert collectors. . …
Microcline: The feldspar mineral Microcline information and pictures
Microcline is an extremely common mineral, and only remarkable occurrences are mentioned here. Excellent crystals associated with Aegirine come from Mount Malosa, Malawi. Other worldwide sources of large Microcline crystals are the Erongo Mountains, Namibia; Papachacra, Catamarca, Argentina; the Shigar Valley, Skardu, Pakistan.
The Mineral orthoclase
Orthoclase is industrially important in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Orthoclase crystals and twins provide information on the formation of minerals and environmental factors. Well shaped crystals and twins are highly sought after by mineral collectors, and the Moonstone variety is used as a gemstone. For additional information, see the …
Plagioclase: The mineral Plagioclase information and pictures
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. Albite and Anorthite are the end members of the series, with the intermediary minerals Oligoclase, Andesine, Labradorite, and Bytownite. The acclaimed Dana's System of Mineralogy lists the …
Orthoclase: Pink granite, Mohs hardness and moonstone
Physical Properties of Orthoclase. All feldspar minerals are usually translucent to transparent, display two directions of cleavage that intersect at approximately 90 degrees, have a vitreous to pearly luster on cleavage faces, and have a specific gravity between about 2.5 and 2.6. Because of these similarities, the feldspar minerals can be …
Feldspar
Minerals that could be used to replace feldspar include pyrophyllite, clays, talc, and feldspar-silica (quartz) mixtures. The abundance of feldspar will make these substitutions unnecessary for the foreseeable future. Uses. Feldspar is used to make dinnerware and bathroom and building tiles. In ceramics and glass production, feldspar is used as ...
Sanidine: The feldspar mineral Sanidine information and pictures
Sanidine is polymorphous with Orthoclase and Microcline.These three minerals form the Potassium Feldspar group.They are almost identical in physical properties, and sometimes it is impossible to distinguish one another without x-ray analysis.The only difference between them is their crystal structure.Microcline crystallizes in the triclinic system, and …
Sandstone: Sedimentary Rock
Sandstone: Close-up view of the sandstone specimen shown above. The gray and white grains are mostly quartz, the black grains are particles of impure coal and shale, and the brown material is stained clay minerals that probably formed when feldspar grains in the sandstone were broken down by weathering.
Pegmatite: Identification, Pictures & Info for Rockhounds
It is actually a group of minerals that can be divided into two main types: plagioclase feldspar and potassium feldspar (K-spar). These two types of feldspar look quite different from one another, and can even vary significantly in appearance themselves. More than one type of feldspar may be present in pegmatite.
Igneous Rocks | Pictures of Intrusive and Extrusive Rock Types
Pictures and brief descriptions of some common igneous rock types are shown on this page. Dacite is a fine-grained, ... It may contain small amounts of amphibole, feldspar, quartz, or pyroxene. The specimen shown above …