Mineral uses/occurrences Flashcards
Used in jewelry, coinage and in electrical applications
gold
Used in jewelry, tableware, coinage and in electrical applications
silver
Used for electrical wire
copper
Occurrence: Associated with hot spring deposits
sulfur
Used as a dry lubricant
Occurrence: Found in pelitic metamorphic rocks
graphite
Occurrence: Found in kimberlites
diamond
found in supergene-enriched zone of copper-bearing hydrothermal sulfide deposits
chalcocite
Mined for lead
Occurrence: Hydrothermal deposits
galena
Used as an ore for zinc
Occurrence: Hydrothermal mineral associated with galena and pyrite
sphalerite
Used as an ore for mercury
Occurrence: Found in low-temperature hydrothermal deposits
cinnabar
Occurrence: found in hydrothermal deposits, igneous, met rocks and shales
pyrite
Used as an alloy in steel and as a dry lubricant
Occurrence: Hydrothermal vein and disseminated deposits (Climax, Colorado)
molybdenite
Used as a filter media and in high density concrete
Occurrence: very common accessory mineral
magnetite
Occurrence: Found in gabbro, peridotite, and dunite
chromite
Used as an abrasive and is an important gemstone
corundum
Used as an ore of iron and as a pigment
Occurrence: Produced by weathering of minerals containing iron
hematite
Used as a Ti ore and pigment
both ilmenite and rutile
Used in refractory materials
Occurrence: Commonly found in marble
brucite
Use: Primary aluminum ore
Occurrence: Created by the weathering of aluminum-rich rocks
“bauxite”
Used for dietary purposes
Ocurrences: Common mineral in evaporite deposits
halite
Used to produce fertilizer
sylvite
Used as a flux in steelmaking and to make acid
Occurrence: Mostly found in hydrothermal veins
fluorite
Used for portland cement and concrete
calcite
Used in glassmaking and wastewater treatment
dolomite
Used as a decorative stone
Occurrence: Oxidized portion of Cu-bearing hydrothermal systems
malachite
Used in drilling mud
barite
Used to make wallboard; also used in cement and as a fertilizer
Occurrence: Marine evaporite deposits
gypsum
Used as a Tungsten ore
Occurrence: found in skarn deposits
scheelite
Occurrence: found in the near-surface oxidized portion of Pb and Mo-bearing hydrothermal systems
Wulfenite
Used in fertilizer
Occurrence: Common accessory in igneous and metamorphic rocks
apatite
Used as a decorative stone in jewelry
Occurrence: hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks
turquoise
Used for making glass and as a source of elemental silicon
quartz
Used in making glass and ceramics
both orthoclase and microline
Occurrence: Most abundant mineral in Earth’s crust
plagioclase
Occurrence: Phenocrysts in alkali-rich silica-poor igneous rocks
leucite
found in alkali-rich silica-poor igneous rocks
both nepheline and sodalite
Used in water and radioactive waste treatment
Occurrence: Commonly found in vugs and vesicles
analcime
Used to make paper, filler in paints and cosmetics
Occurrence: formed by the weathering of feldspar and mica
kaolinite
Used in ceramics, paint, and cosmetics
talc
Occurrence: low-grade metamorphic mineral, commonly found in vesicles
prehnite
Used as an insulator; an asbestos mineral
Occurrence: Hydrothermally altered mafic and ultramafic rocks
serpentine
Used in electronics and paint
Mica group
Occurrence: skarns and regionally metamorphosed limestones, dolostones, and marls
tremolite
Occurrence: medium-grade metamorphosed mafic rocks and skarn deposits
actinolite
Occurrence: common in igneous rocks and metamorphosed mafic rocks
hornblende
Occurrence: found in high-pressure low-temperatures metamorphosed mafic rocks
glaucophane
Occurrence: very high grade (granulite facies) metamorphosed basalts
orthopyroxene
Occurrence: found in metamorphosed carbonate rocks
diopside
Occurrence: found in mafic and ultramafic igneous and metamorphic rocks
augite
Use - mined as a source of lithium
Occurrence: found in felsic pegmatites
spodumene
Occurrence: high-pressure and moderate-temperature metamorphic rocks
jadeite
Occurrence: High pressure rocks (lower crust and mantle)
omphacite
Used in ceramics, paint, and plastics
Occurrence: Found in metamorphosed impure ptalimestone and dolomite
wollastonite
Occurrence: Mn-bearing hydrothermal systems and skarn deposits
rhondonite
Used as a primary source of metallic beryllium
Occurrence: common mineral in granitic pegmatites
beryl
Occurrence: found in felsic igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks
tourmaline
Occurrence: Common mineral in med. to high-grade pelitic metamorphic rocks
cordierite
Occurrence: Contact metamorphosed limestones and altered mafic rocks
vesuvianite
Occurrence: common accessory mineral in metamorphic rocks, also found in veins
epidote
Used to make casting molds
Occurrence: Common in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks
olivine
Used to produce the refractory material called mullite
Occurrence: found in low-temperature and pressure meta pelites
andalusite
Used to produce the refractory material called mullite
Occurrence: found in high-temperature metapelites
sillimanite
Used to produce the refractory material mullite
Occurrence: found in low to moderate temperature and moderate to high pressure metapelites
kyanite
Occurrence: found in both volcanic and intrusive felsic igneous rocks
topaz
Used as an abrasive and a gemstone
Occurrence: mostly found in metamorphic rocks, some found in ultramafic rocks, and occasionally found in granitic rocks
garnet group
Used for U/Pb dating
Occurrence: common accessory mineral in felsic igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Zircon
Occurrence: Common accessory mineral in igneous rocks and amphibolites
titanite (sphene)
