Photos and information about 80 common rock-forming, ore and gemstone minerals from around the world.

There are approximately 4000 different minerals, and each of those minerals has a unique set of physical properties. These include: color, streak, hardness, luster, diaphaneity, specific gravity, …

What Are Rock-Forming Minerals? Scientists have identified over 4,000 different minerals. A small group of these minerals make up almost 90% of the rocks of Earth’s crust. These minerals are …

A small number of minerals and rocks will glow with spectacular colors under ultraviolet light. Learn how this happens.

A list of minerals in order of hardness can be a handy reference. If you determine that a specimen has a hardness of Mohs 4, you can quickly get a list of potential minerals.

Home » Metals » REE - Rare Earth Elements REE - Rare Earth Elements and their Uses The demand for rare earth elements has grown rapidly, but their occurrence in minable deposits is …

Information on over 500 minerals, complete with detailed color photographs, crystallographic diagrams, physical and chemical properties, and much more. More information, table of contents.

Hunt For Gems - Keep What You Find! There are over 100 mines in the United States where anyone can visit, pay a small fee, look for gems and minerals, and keep what they find. For a …

The process of erosion concentrates denser minerals, most notably gold, into deposits known as placers. Depending on the source of the erosion products, certain rare earth elements-bearing …

The best way to learn about minerals is to study with a collection of small specimens that you can handle, examine, and observe their properties. Inexpensive mineral collections are available in …