Although there are many websites that provide detailed information on the chemistry and physical properties of the roughly 2000 known minerals, this website's goal is different.
Its focus are the many roles that minerals play in our lives, specifically the roles of the more common minerals. Some minerals, like the rare earth elements, are crucial resources for modern technology but you are unlikely to ever encounter those materials in the field simply because they really are ‘rare’.
In contrast, the twenty-one minerals featured here are ones you may run across - as they comprise nearly all of the most common igneous and sedimentary rocks and most of the more common metamorphic rocks (although some metamorphic rocks include minerals not featured here).
Yet even though these minerals are relatively common, many of them have played pivotal roles in shaping our modern society.
To start exploring these minerals, use one of the dropdown 'Minerals' menu in the navigation bar above.
email link: Kent Kirkby ([email protected])