Geographic Minerals

Definition – “Heliodor” is a form of beryl, and is actually the most brilliant form of all the beryls. Heliodor is a name used by…

Definition – Turquoise is an opaque mineral (blue-to-green) that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O. It is a…

Definition – “Sardonyx” is a chalcedony that it colored black, red, brown and white. This cryptocrystalline quartz can be colored with iron and carbon inclusions…

Manganosite is a rare mineral composed of manganese (II) oxide MnO. It is an isometric-hexoctahedral mineral containing manganese and oxygen. It is a cubic mineral…

Definition – “Spinel” (/spɪˈnɛl/) is a mineral that occurs in a wide variety of colors and it is a traditional birthstone for the month of…

Definition – “Moonstone” is a sodium potassium aluminium silicate ((Na,K)AlSi3O8) of the feldspar mineral that produces a “pearly” luster when light enters the stone and…

Definition – Alexandrite is a member of the chrysoberyl family of stone, some of the rarest stones on earth. It is the traditional birthstone for…

Definition – “Aquamarine” (from Latin: aqua marina, “seawater”), is the second-most-popular gem beryl and is the birthstone for the month of March. It occurs at…

Definition – Mother of Pearl (MOP), also known as ‘Nacre’ (/ˈneɪkər/ NAY-kər also /ˈnækrə/ NAK-rə), is a smooth shining iridescent substance forming the inner layer…

Manganite is a mineral composed of manganese oxide-hydroxide, MnO(OH), crystallizing in the monoclinic system. It is a mineral named for its dominating manganese content. It…

Definition – Morganite, also known as “pink beryl”, “rose beryl” “pink emerald” (which is not a legal term according to the new Federal Trade Commission…

Definition – Cinnabar (/ˈsɪnəbɑːr/) or cinnabarite (/sɪnəˈbɑːraɪt/), likely deriving from the Ancient Greek: κιννάβαρι (kinnabari), is a toxic mercury sulfide mineral with a chemical composition…