Rocks and Minerals

Dean S.
Collecting Rocks and Minerals is a great hobby.
Definitions are from http://www.conservapedia.com
42 words 46 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. acicular
    narrow and long and pointed; as pine leaves
  2. adamantine
    consisting of or having the hardness of adamant
  3. albite
    a widely distributed feldspar that forms rocks
  4. amalgam
    a combination or blend of diverse things
  5. amethyst
    a transparent purple variety of quartz; used as a gemstone
    http://www.conservapedia.com/Amethyst Amethyst is a variety of transparent quartz, used as a gemstone in jewelry. It is a deep clear violet or purple color, and has a hardness rating of 7 on the Moh's Scale.
  6. apatite
    a common complex mineral consisting of calcium fluoride phosphate or calcium chloride phosphate; a source of phosphorus
  7. arborescent
    resembling a tree in form and branching structure
  8. arsenate
    a salt or ester of arsenic acid
  9. beryl
    the chief source of beryllium
  10. biotite
    dark brown to black mica found in igneous and metamorphic rock
    http://www.conservapedia.com/Biotite Biotite is a common rock-forming mineral of the mica family. Biotite is a black or dark brown silicate rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, aluminum, and, of course, silica.
  11. birefringent
    relating to or characterized by double refraction
  12. calcite
    a common mineral consisting of crystallized calcium carbonate; a major constituent of limestone
  13. copper
    a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor
  14. crystal
    a solid having a highly regular atomic structure
    http://www.conservapedia.com/Crystal A crystal is a substance in which the constituent atoms are arranged in a consistent, repetitive, and therefore orderly pattern. Crystals are extremely common, forming the basis for many rocks and minerals.
  15. cuprite
    a mineral consisting of cuprous oxide that is a source of copper
  16. diamond
    very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
    http://www.conservapedia.com/Diamond Diamond is an allotrope of carbon, and can be formed when carbon atoms are arranged in a tetrahedral fashion when put under immense amounts of heat and pressure.
  17. emerald
    a green transparent form of beryl
    A green transparent form of beryl; highly valued as a gemstone.
  18. feldspar
    any of a group of hard crystalline minerals that consist of aluminum silicates of potassium or sodium or calcium or barium
    http://www.conservapedia.com/Feldspar Of all of the minerals in the Earth's crust, the aluminosilicate, feldspar, is the most common. It is a very useful industrial mineral that finds applications in making glass, plumbing fixtures, tile and pottery. These uses in the United States accounted for about 630,000 ton of U.S. produced feldspar valued at about $27.4 million.
  19. fluorite
    a soft mineral that is fluorescent in ultraviolet light
  20. garnet
    any of a group of hard glassy minerals used as gemstones
  21. gold
    a soft yellow malleable ductile metallic element
  22. igneous
    produced by the action of fire or intense heat
  23. kimberlite
    a rare type of peridotite that sometimes contains diamonds
  24. kyanite
    a grey or greenish-blue mineral consisting of aluminum silicate in crystalline form; occurs in metaphoric rock, used as a refractory
  25. lepidolite
    a mineral of the mica group; an important source of lithium
  26. malachite
    a green mineral used for jewelry, ornaments, and copper ore
  27. metamorphic
    having undergone transformation by pressure, heat, etc.
  28. mica
    any of various minerals consisting of hydrous silicates of aluminum or potassium etc. that crystallize in forms that allow perfect cleavage into very thin leaves; used as dielectrics because of their resistance to electricity
  29. mineral
    a solid inorganic substance occurring in nature
  30. opal
    a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica
  31. pyrite
    a common mineral that has a pale yellow color
  32. pyrope
    a deep red garnet used as a gemstone
  33. quartz
    a hard glossy mineral consisting of silicon dioxide in crystal form; present in most rocks (especially sandstone and granite); yellow sand is quartz with iron oxide impurities
  34. rhodochrosite
    a mineral consisting of manganese carbonate
  35. rhodonite
    a pink or red mineral consisting of crystalline manganese silicate; used as an ornamental stone
  36. rock
    material consisting of the aggregate of minerals
  37. ruby
    a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
  38. scheelite
    a mineral used as an ore of tungsten
  39. sedimentary
    formed by or containing the accumulation of deposited matter
  40. silver
    a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
  41. tourmaline
    a mineral that is a complex borosilicate and hydroxide of aluminum containing iron and magnesium and calcium and lithium and sodium; it is usually black but occurs in transparent colored forms that are used as gemstones
  42. vanadinite
    a mineral consisting of chloride and vanadate of lead
Created on Mon Sep 22 17:11:26 EDT 2008 (updated Thu Sep 25 11:57:46 EDT 2008)

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