50 Minerals for Fun and Profit
Yes! It’s a new day and a new meme is spreading across the geoblogosphere like a forest fire. I’m always game to participate in a new meme and this one sounds like it could be especially fun. Chuck at Lounge of the Lab Lemming posted a list of 50 great minerals that he believes everyone should see.
Below is my list of 50 minerals that I’ve seen and think others should see. Bold minerals indicate those that I’ve seen in the field, while italicized minerals have been seen in a museum or laboratory. Where available, I’ll try to include some information about where I observed the mineral (thanks to old field notebooks and school reports). You’ll notice a lot of these locations are very similar. That’s mostly because many of these minerals were observed on many mineralogy class field trips.
Anyway, let’s have some fun!
1. Actinolite
Observed in Wrightwood, CA
2. Agate
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
3. Amanzonite
Observed in pegmatite found in White Mountains near Lone Pine, CA
4. Andersonite
It’s a radioactive mineral. And it fluoresces. If that isn’t cool, I don’t know what is.
5. Apatite
Made from the same stuff that makes up your teeth!
6. Borax
Observed at Searles Lake, Trona, CA
7. Beryl
Observed in pegmatite found in White Mountains near Lone Pine, CA
8. Beta Quartz
Observed in Bishop Tuff, Owens Valley, CA
9. Biotite
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
10. Calcite
Observed at Dolomite Loop near Lone Pine, CA
11. Chrysocolla
Observed in Darwin, CA
12. Cinnabar
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
13. Cordierite
I might have seen this in the field, but I’m not sure. Definitely seen in lab.
14. Corundum
Observed at the mouth of the Russian River, near Jenner, CA
15. Cummingtonite
I can’t think of a single person (geologist or not) who snickers when they hear the name of this mineral.
16. Dolomite
Observed at Dolomite Loop near Lone Pine, CA
17. Fluorite
Observed in Darwin, CA
18. Epidote
Observed at Dolomite Loop near Lone Pine, CA
19. Galena
Observed in Darwin, CA
20. Garnet
Observed at the mouth of the Russian River, near Jenner, CA
21. Glaucophane
Observed at the mouth of the Russian River, near Jenner, CA
22. Gypsum
Observed in Darwin, CA
23. Hanksite
Observed at Searles Lake, Trona, CA
24. Hornblende
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
25. Ice
Everywhere. I’ve seen this in New Zealand, California, Utah, Colorado, Oregon. Even in my kitchen (though I don’t really count that as being in the field… no matter how scarce food or a good beer may be). And it fits the definition of a mineral: “A naturally-occurring, inorganic homogeneous solid with a definite chemical composition and a unique and ordered crystalline structure.”
26. Jasper
Observed in San Francisco, CA
27. Kyanite
Observed at the mouth of the Russian River, near Jenner, CA
28. Lepidolite
A really beautiful looking mica mineral that is generally rose colored.
29. Limonite
Observed in Darwin, CA
30. Microcline
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
31. Molybdenite
A boring mineral. At least from what I remember from mineralogy lab. I probably associate this with sleeping in the back of class.
32. Muscovite
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
33. Olivine
Observed in basalt flows near Independence, CA
34. Opal
Observed at McLaughlin Gold Mine near Napa, CA
35. Orthoclase
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
36. Pink Halite
Observed at Searles Lake, Trona, CA
37. Plagioclase
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
38. Pyrite
Observed in Darwin, CA
39. Quartz (var. Rock Crystal)
Observed at McLaughlin Gold Mine near Napa, CA
40. Quartz (var. Smokey)
Observed at Olmsted Point, Yosemite, CA
41. Realgar
A beautiful mineral. And another one that we would always joke about when we realized that it’s chemistry was “AsS”.
42. Romanechite
Observed at Dolomite Loop near Lone Pine, CA
43. Sanidine
Observed in Bishop Tuff, Owens Valley, CA
44. Serpentine
Observed in San Francisco, CA. Easily my favorite mineral and a key ingredient in California’s State Rock.
45. Sphene
Observed in pegmatite found in White Mountains near Lone Pine, CA
46. Staurolite
A beautiful dark colored mineral. I remember this one specifically from asking our petrology professor what his favorite mineral was. He instantly answered “staurolite” before we even finished the question.
47. Stibnite
Observed in McLaughlin Gold Mine near Napa, CA
48. Talc
Observed at Dolomite Loop near Lone Pine, CA
49. Travertine
Observed in Owens Valley, CA
50. Tremolite
Observed at Dolomite Loop near Lone Pine, CA
More Information
- All My Faults Are Stress Related
- Clastic Detritus
- Dinochick Blogs
- geoberg.de-Blog (in German)
- Geotripper
- Highly Allochthonous
- Hypo-Theses
- Looking for Detachment
- Lost Geologist
- Lounge of the Lab Lemming
- Magma Cum Laude
- Musings of a Life-Long Scholar
- NOVA Geoblog
Similar Posts on Geology News:
- Geology Picture of the Day – Fault Scarp
- The Most Popular Minerals in the Geoblogosphere
- Determining the Frequency of Past Hurricanes
- Bacterial Alchemy!
- A New Mineral: Lanthanio Dissakisite
Those minerals do look fun
And potentially profitable. ;)
Dave, you put the rest of us to shame with these photos and the specific locations you’ve seen them! I hang my head…
CB
PS-Isn’t travertine a rock made of the mineral calcite?
Hah. Thanks! I was going to do more photos and links to Google Maps and such, but this post really had already taken a ridiculous amount of time.
It’s nice to be unemployed and have enough time to do this! ;)
Regarding the Travertine. You’re right. Maybe I should more clearly label it as Calcite (var. Travertine) for clarification? I did that with Quartz after all. I wonder if Chuck would consider polymorphs to be a separate mineral?
WWCD?
(“What would Chuck do?”)
Yes, wonderful photos – and I was thinking of minerals all day long, ones left out like stibnite, realgar, and orpiment…
As for that last question – WWCD? – I often ask that myself!
Oh, and wavellite, and malachite, and…
Also, the geoberg.de-Blog, in German.
Ah, excellent! Thanks.
Yeah. When I started writing this post I decided to come up with my own list of minerals instead of using the original list from Chuck. Lo and behold, many of the minerals in my list are the same. I actually *forgot* about native silver and gold.
A friend of mine actually found native gold when we were on a field trip. That was pretty exciting.
But yeah, there are definitely a lot of minerals that could be included. It’s almost hard to narrow it down to just 50.
I had the privilege of going to Panamint Valley this past weekend with a 4WD club. We went to Lookout City and Darwin. While at Darwin, I did some rock stealing, picking out the most interesting looking rocks, and took them home.
I have no clue what these rocks are called and would like to know. If anyone here could possibly identify them, I’d be glad to take pictures of them and send them to you.
I’m 60 years old and never paid attention to rocks before. Now, I’m hooked. Is there anyone on here that would be willing to help me by identifying the rocks I have? If so, thanks so much.
Great list – and you’ve got some fine pics here too.
I think my faves are Fluorite and Pyrite, both when in the form of intergrown cubes. I’d also have to include Paraiba Tourmaline.