What stones are minerals?

Thanks to the magazine “Minerals of the Earth’s Treasures,” many people became interested in collectible minerals. Some are interested in investing in minerals such as diamond and gold. Most people have no time for diamonds and gold; they don’t have enough for the mineral quartz. Another is already close to a granite slab. Few – to the marble bust. For some, granite and marble are just stones. For some it is a farewell to love. In any case, collections of minerals and stones need to be collected intelligently, and for this it is advisable to understand at least a little about minerals and stones. The site will help you understand minerals and stones Crystals.Net. Readers will be able to learn that stones are either minerals or rock fragments. For example, quartz stone is a mineral. And stones such as granite and marble are rocks, not minerals. Rocks are typically made up of minerals. Most minerals are crystals. But not all minerals are crystals (see what a mineral is). But all minerals are formed as a result of geological processes. Therefore, kidney stones and crystals in chaga on birch are not considered minerals. Organic minerals, contrary to popular belief, do exist. There are simply few of them and they are not as interesting for investment as the mineral gold or the mineral diamond. Sand and clay – although not stones, are also rocks. Builders use them: they build castles from sand, and cover cracks with clay. And compaction development gives someone the opportunity to invest in the gold mineral and the diamond mineral. Therefore, sand and clay are classified as minerals. Clay is made up of clay minerals, and quartz sand is made up of the mineral quartz. Solid non-combustible minerals are usually sought by geologists from the Department of Mineral Resources. After minerals have been found and explored for many years to come, geologists become unnecessary. Some stones and crystals are incorrectly called minerals. Firstly, this concerns the varieties of minerals. For example, there is no amethyst mineral, but there is a type of quartz mineral. Secondly, solid solutions. For example, there is no mineral biotite. And there is a solid solution of biotite, formed by a series of different minerals. Thirdly, groups and supergroups of minerals. For example, there is no mineral apatite: apatites are a group and supergroup of minerals. Many old mineral collectors can’t get used to the idea that their mineral collection suddenly contains something other than minerals. Although it is not difficult to replace the word mineral with “specimen”, “stone” or “crystal” in the label. The site Crystals.net There is a search in the database, which includes a catalog of minerals, varieties of minerals and synonyms for the names of minerals. The catalog of minerals allows you to search by keywords. The taxonomy of minerals is presented according to the new standard approved by the International Mineralogical Association. You can see the classification of minerals and the composition of mineral supergroups. Any questions you may have can be asked in the appropriate Forum section: minerals, crystal growing, geology, paleontology. The site Crystals.Net Photos of stones, photographs of minerals and crystals are provided. In the description you can find the properties of stones, crystals, minerals and rocks. Find out the chemical composition, color of minerals and solve the mineral crossword puzzle. Sometimes stones fall from the sky, then these stones are called meteorites. What is not always true: stones that fell from the sky did not necessarily come from space. Some stones that fell from the sky are a product of volcanic activity or are tektites. Occasionally, new minerals are discovered in meteorites. It happens that stones falling from the sky turn out to be American satellites. Such stones do not contain new minerals. Crystal growing has become popular. On the site Crystals.net There is information on growing mineral analogue crystals. Grown crystals are not considered minerals. A number of minerals and crystals have artificial analogues – beware of fakes! For some, minerals are a way to escape from the real world. And some believe that minerals help you become happier. And he is looking for where to buy a magic crystal or a magic stone. Since the publication of the magazine about minerals and stones has been discontinued, Harry Potter advises reading about minerals and stones on the website Crystals.Net, and for stones go to the stone shop of Stone Researchers. There you can also buy minerals, meteorites, crystals, stone products and jewelry made from natural stones. For those who live far away or whose legs cannot walk, the online store of stones and minerals sells online treasure minerals of the Earth. I hope you learned something new from this text about minerals and stones. If not, throw a stone at me. Gemstones are often referred to as “crystals” and “minerals,” and the terms are considered interchangeable. However, we don’t even think about whether there is a difference between them? Today we’ll talk about the similarities and significant differences between crystals and minerals. In the photo: gems from the personal collection of Maxim Demidov. Minerals and crystals are natural formations that are closely related to each other. They are found both on the ground and in the lithosphere, underground cavities and geodes. The connection between them is essential – minerals are necessary for the formation of crystals. However, crystals, due to their chemical structure and long process of formation, are more complex than minerals. Let’s talk about them in more detail.

• Minerals are naturally occurring solids. They have very different chemical compositions, highly ordered atomic structures, and specific physical properties. Minerals are formed as a result of various geological processes and are more common in nature than crystals, since they are active crystal-forming compounds.
• Crystals are complex solid formations consisting of ions, atoms and molecules. They are born as a result of certain processes: chemical reactions, melting, cooling.

In the photo: mineral – zinc oxide under a microscope; crystal – zincite (formed from zinc oxide minerals).

How crystals form

Minerals play a significant role in the formation of crystals, acting as the “special ingredient”. Not only are they the building blocks for crystals, but they also form them under certain conditions. Under the influence of high temperatures, pressure, chemical reactions, deep underground, minerals and rocks are combined with each other. Over thousands of years, they slowly cool and turn into crystals. Thanks to mining, people find deposits of the most valuable precious stones, which were once just grains, but now can outshine everything around with their beauty.

In the photo: aquamarine and amethyst crystals.

In addition to underground crystals, there are also those that form on the surface of the earth. For example, some gemstones can be found in solidified volcanic rock. When a volcano erupts, molten magma flows into the mountain voids, cools and hardens. For thousands of years, chemical processes have been occurring inside this lava. Minerals, rock and volcanic rock particles are slowly transformed. Sparkling opal is a miracle born from such a union.

In the photo: a set with “Espectaculo” opals from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

Chemically, minerals may be the same, but form completely different crystals. There are different types of minerals found in nature:

• Silicates are the most widespread class of minerals in nature. Silicates make up about 75% of the mass of the earth’s crust and a third of all known minerals. These are silicon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium, sodium, potassium, lithium, boron, beryllium, hydrogen, zirconium, titanium, fluorine. Among the precious stones that are obtained from minerals of the silicate group: garnet, tourmaline, emerald, aquamarine, morganite.

In the photo: a set with polychrome tourmalines “Creative Classics” from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

• Halides are salts of hydrohalic acids. Their content in the earth’s crust is insignificant. The most famous halides are fluorite, rock salt and table salt.
• Carbonates are salts of carbonic acid. They make up up to 1,7% of the weight of the earth’s crust. The most famous carbonates are malachite, aragonite and calcite.

In the photo: mineral – calcium carbonate under a microscope; crystal – aragonite (formed from the combination of calcium carbonate minerals with other minerals).

• Oxides are minerals that are compounds of various elements with oxygen. They account for about 17% of the mass of the entire earth’s crust. Gems that are obtained from oxides: rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, ametrine, pink, milky and green quartz, aventurine, rauchtopaz, opal.

In the photo: ring with ametrine “Dominant of feelings” from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

• Sulfides are salts of hydrosulfide acid. They make up 0,25% of the mass of the earth’s crust. The most typical origin of sulfides is hydrothermal. They mainly serve as ore for the extraction of various chemical elements and are of great industrial importance. Among the most famous sulfides are pyrite, galena, bornite, and cinnabar.
• Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid. They are lagoonal or lacustrine chemical sediments. Sulfates account for 0,1% of the mass of the earth’s crust. Sulfates form soft compounds such as: alabaster, gypsum, alunite, jarosite, celestine.
• Phosphates are salts of phosphoric acid. They make up no more than 0,1% of the earth’s crust. The main use of phosphates is as a raw material for the production of phosphate fertilizers, phosphorus, and phosphoric acid. Phosphates produce such a precious gem as apatite.

In the photo: ring with apatite “Unity with the World” from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

Differences between minerals and crystals

• The key difference between minerals and crystals is that minerals can only be natural substances, while crystals can only be natural and synthetic. For example, minerals are hematite, magnetite, quartz, etc., and a crystal can be artificial glass.
• Minerals are homogeneous solids with an ordered internal structure and are found in rocks, ores and mineral deposits in the earth’s crust. The crystal structure is defined geometrically. The crystal lattice contains compounds and formations consisting of minerals and grows according to certain rules of symmetry – syngony. It can be triclinic, monoclinic, rhombic, tetragonal, trigonal, hexagonal and cubic. When studying precious stones, gemologists indicate the syngony or type – which symmetry class the crystal belongs to.

In the photo: emerald and topaz crystals.

• Minerals can be found in liquids such as water. But a crystal is a solid substance that does not dissolve in water.
• A crystal has a structure made up of different materials, whereas a mineral is itself a material.
• Minerals are inorganic elements or compoundshaving a characteristic chemical composition. We have already mentioned that with the same chemical structure, minerals form completely different crystals. Therefore, the crystal structure can greatly influence the physical properties. Let’s take diamond and graphite as an example. Diamonds are considered the hardest of all gemstones, and although they have the same composition as graphite, the latter is soft and malleable in nature.

In the photo: the “Guarantees of Traditions” diamond ring from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

• Since minerals are homogeneous substances, it is generally accepted that crystals have magical and healing properties and are often used in various relaxation methods. Find your lucky talisman in the Maxim Demidov jewelry treasury.