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Mineral Families
Minerals are grouped in 'families' or 'classes' based on the chemical
composition of the mineral.
- Elements: This class is best known for containing diamonds (carbon)
and the various metals and their alloys.
- Silicates: The largest class of minerals
based on the silicon and oxygen structures. Oxygen and silicon are the two most abundant
elements on earth.
- Oxides: Technically the largest class - until
you remove the minerals that are split out into the silicate, phosphate, carbonate or
sulphate classes.
- Phosphates: minerals based on the X04 structure where X
can be Phosphorus, Arsenic, Vanadium or Antimony.
- Sulfides: Perhaps the most economically important class of minerals
as it contains most major ores.
- Halides: A class based on Fluorine, Chlorine, Iodine or Bromine with
several common members such as common salt - Sodium Chloride.
- Carbonates: Another common group that is based on a triangle of
atoms where the center atom is a carbon, nitrogen or boron atom and every corner atom is
an oxygen atom.
- Sulfates: An important class with only a few members considered
common - such as gypsum.
- The Organics: The "Minerals" composed of organic compounds - like
amber.
- The Mineraloids: The "Minerals" that lack crystal structure such as
mercury or opal.
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