GS - 103

Elementary Crystallography and Mineralogy

Department of Geological Sciences

Jahangirnagar University
PHYLLOSILICATES
 Phyllosilicates

In sheet structures, three oxygen of each tetrahedron are

shared with adjacent tetrahedra to form flat sheet of
indefinite extent. In essence, this structure is the double
– chain Inosilicate structure extended indefinitely in two
directions instead of only one. The linkage, which gives
as Si:O ratio of 2:5, is the fundamental unit in all mica
and clay structures.

Clay minerals: Clay is a fine grained mineral in which the

diameter is up to 0.004mm.
 Clay Minerals
General properties:

1.Clay minerals have many physical features in common.

2.They do not found as macroscopic.
3.They occur as earthy masses.
4.They easily disintegrate when scratched.
5.They appear very soft.
 Kaolinite, Al4Si4O10(OH) 8
Crystal system: Triclinic.
Habit: Usually in earthy aggregates.
Color and streak: White, often stained brown or gray by
impurities. White.
Cleavage: Perfect, but not observable to the unaided eye
because of small grain size.
Luster: Pearly if coarsely crystalline, but usually dull and
earthy.
Hardness: 2.
Specific Gravity: 2.6.

Diagnostic properties:
1.Dull or earthy luster,
2.White color.
3.Low hardness 2.
 Kaolinite, Al4Si4O10(OH) 8
Occurrence: Kaolinite is formed by the decomposition of
other aluminosilicates, especially feldspars, either by
weathering or by hydrothermal activity.
Large deposits have been formed by the hydrothermal
alteration of feldspar in granites and granite pegmatites.
Some deposits have been formed by erosion of
kaolinized granite and redeposition of the kaolinite.

Production and uses: Kaolinite is an important industrial

mineral, being used as a filler in paper and as an
essential raw material in the manufacture of ceramics.
 Serpentine, (Mg, Fe, Ni)3Si2O5(OH)4
Crystal system: Monoclinic.
Habit: Generally structureless.
Color and streak: Usually green, also yellow, brown,
reddish brown, and gray. White.
Cleavage: Not observable.
Luster: Waxy or greasy in massive varieties, silky in
fibrous material.
Hardness: Variable, 2.5 to 5.
Specific Gravity: 2.5 - 2.6.

Diagnostic properties:
1.Green color,
2.Variable hardness 2.5 to 5.
3.Waxy luster.
 Serpentine, (Mg, Fe, Ni)3Si2O5(OH)4
Occurrence: Serpentine
is formed by alteration
of olivine and enstatite
under conditions of low
and medium grade
metamorphism.

Uses: It is used an
ornametal stone.
 Montmorillonite
Crystal system: Monoclinic.
Habit: Always in earthy masses.
Color: Usually gray or greenish gray, but may be white,
yellow, yellow – green, pink or brown.
Streak: White.
Luster: Greasy or dull.
Hardness: Variable, 2 to 2.5.
Specific Gravity: 2.0 - 2.7, decreasing with increasing
water content.
Diagnostic properties: It is clay – like character and
soapy feel, and the property of swelling and forming a gel
– like mass in water are the main diagnostic feature.
Other properties are:
1.Gray color,
2.Low hardness 2. to 2.5.
3.Greasy to dull luster.
 Montmorillonite
Occurrence: A clay mineral, commonly formed by the
alteration of beds of volcanic ash.

Production and Uses:

1.It is much used in drilling muds.
2.A small amount will give plasticity to a large quantity of
inert material, and on this account it is used as a binder
and plasticizer.
3.Its swelling properties, so useful in industry and in civil
engineering operations.
 Illite
Crystal system: Monoclinic.
Habit: Typically microcrystalline.
Color: White, light gray or buff.
Streak: White.
Cleavage: Perfect.
Luster: Silky to dull.
Hardness: 1 to 2.
Specific Gravity: 2.6 - 2.9.

Occurrence:
1.Argillaceous sediments and sedimentary rocks,
2.In many soils.
 Talc, Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Crystal system: Monoclinic.
Habit: Foliated masses or compact fine –
grained aggregates.
Color: Characteristically pale green, also
white to gray.
Streak: White.
Cleavage: Perfect.
Luster: Pearly in cleavage surfaces,
otherwise greasy to dull.
Hardness: 1.
Specific Gravity: 2.82.
Diagnostic features: Talc can be
distinguished from other minerals by its
extreme softness, soapy feel and its color.
 Talc, Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Occurrence: Talc is a mineral of low and medium grade
metamorphic rocks. It also occurs in hydrothermal
altered rocks.

Production and uses:

1.Talc is used as talcum powder and face powder.
2.Talc has low conductivity for heat and electricity, is fire
resistant.
3.It is used in ceramics, especially for electrical porcelain
and for refractories, and as filler in paint, paper, and
rubber.
4.Slabs of soapstone are used for electrical
switchboards, acid proof table tops and sinks, and
laundry tubs.
5.It is also used as lubricants.
MICA GROUP
 Mica Group
There are 5 minerals common in Mica Group:

1.Muscovite
2.Phlogopite
3.Biotite
4.Lepidolite
5.Glauconite
 Muscovite
Crystal system and class: Monoclinic.
Habit: Usually in lamellar masses or small flakes.
Color: Colorless or pale shades of green, gray, or brown
in thin sheets.
Streak: White.
Cleavage: Perfect, flexible and elastic.
Luster: Vitreous, sometimes pearly.
Hardness: 2.5 (on cleavage), 4 (across cleavage).
Specific Gravity: 2.8 - 2.9.
Light transmission: Transparent.

Diagnostic features:
1.Perfect one directional cleavage,
2.Flexible and elastic nature,
3.Variable Hardness 2.5 to 4,
4.White color.
 Muscovite
Occurrence:
1.In igneous rocks such as granites.
2.In granite pegmatites.
3.In low and medium grade metamorphic rocks such as
phillites, schists and gneisses.
4.As detrital grains in clastic sedimentary rocks.

Production and uses:

1.As electrical industry,
2.As an insulator,
3.As filler,
4.As a dusting medium.
 Biotite and Phlogopite
All the properties of Muscovite, biotite and
phlogopite are same except color.
Color: Pale yellow to brown in phlogopite,
dark green, brown, or black in biotite.
Occurrence:
Phlogopite occurs in ultrabasic igneous
rocks, in some marbles, and in magnesium
– rich pegmatites.
Biotite is found in many igneous rocks but
most commonly in the intermediate and
acidic families; it is also an important
constituent of metamorphic rocks,
especially schists, gneisses, and hornfels.
Uses: As Muscovite.
 Glauconite
Crystal system: Monoclinic.
Habit: Small granules in marine sedimentary rocks.
Color: Green to black.
Streak: Green.
Luster: Earthy and dull.
Hardness: 2.
Specific Gravity: 2.5 - 2.8.

Diagnostic features:
Color and habit are characteristics.

Occurrence: Glauconite is an authigenic mineral of

marine sedimentary rocks. At the present time it is
forming on the sea floor in areas where clastic
sedimentation is small or lacking. Its occurrence in the
geological column is often linked with disconformities.
 Chlorite Series/Group
Crystal system and class: Monoclinic.
Habit: Fine – grained and earthy masses.
Cleavage: Perfect, cleavage flakes flexible but not elastic.
Color: Characteristically green (hence the name),
manganese – bearing varieties orange to brown,
chromium – bearing varieties violet.
Streak: White, pale green.
Luster: Vitreous to earthy.
Hardness: 2.5 (on cleavage).
Specific Gravity: 2.6 – 3.3.
Light Transmission: Transparent to translucent.

Diagnostic features:
1.Green color,
2.Micaceous cleavage,
3.Non – elastic nature of cleavage flakes is characteristic.
 Chlorite Series/Group
Occurrence:
1. Chlorite is an important mineral in low grade schists,
and is also common in igneous rocks as an alteration
product.
2. Also occurs as Hydrothermal alteration of pre –
existing rocks.
3. It occurs in sedimentary iron.
SUB – CLASS: CYCLOSILICATES
 Beryl (Be3Al2SiO18)
Crystal system: Hexagonal.
Habit: Prismatic crystal.
Cleavage: Poor/Distinct.
Color: Commonly pale green, white or yellow.
Streak: White.
Luster: Vitreous.
Hardness: 8.
Specific Gravity: 2.65 – 2.95.
Light Transmission: Transparent to translucent.

Diagnostic features:
1.Hardness 8,
2.Hexagonal crystal form,
3.Pale green white or yellow color.
 Beryl (Be3Al2SiO18)
Occurrence:
1.In granite pegmatite,
2.Cavities in granite,
3.In cavities in a bituminous limestone.

Uses: It is a source of Beryllium element.

 Tourmaline
Crystal system: Trigonal.
Habit: Typically prismatic with triangular cross –
sections, prism face vertically striated.
Cleavage: Present.
Color: Commonly black also brown, dark blue, colorless,
pink, green.
Streak: White or slightly tinted by body color.
Luster: Vitreous.
Hardness: 7.5.
Specific Gravity: 3 – 3.2. Higher with Fe increases.
Light Transmission: Transparent to translucent.
Other features: Strongly pyroelectric and piezoelectric.
Diagnostic features:
1.Black, brown, dark blue, colorless, pink, green color,
2.High hardness 7.5,
3.Triangular cross - section.
 Tourmaline
Occurrence:
1.In granite pegmatite,
2.In granites rocks,
3.In metamorphic rocks such as schists and gneisses.
4.In metamorphosed limestone,
5.In high temperature metalliferous veins.

Uses: In the construction of pressure gauge and as

gemstone.
SUB – CLASS: SOROSILICATES
 Sub- Class: Sorosilicates
Epidote Group:

1.Zoisite
2.Clinozoisite
3.Epidote
4.Allanite
 Zoisite
Crystal system: Orthorhombic.
Habit: Typically aggregates of long prismatic crystal.
Cleavage: Perfect.
Color: Typically gray in some cases pink green or bluish.
Streak: White.
Luster: Vitreous, pearly on cleavage surfaces.
Hardness: 6.5.
Specific Gravity: 3.3.
Light Transmission: Transparent to translucent.
Diagnostic features:
1.Gray color.
2.Hardness 6.5,
3.Perfect cleavage.
Occurrence:
1.In schists and genisses,
2.In Quartz veins.
Uses: as gemstone.
 Clinozoisite and Epidote
Crystal system: Monoclinic.
Habit: Typically elongated crystals also
fibrous or granular and massive.
Cleavage: Perfect.
Color: Pale green or greenish gray for
Clinozoisite.
Yellowish to brown green to
black for Epidote.
Streak: White or grayish white.
Luster: Vitreous.
Hardness: 7
Specific Gravity: 3.3 – 3.6.
Light Transmission: Transparent to
translucent.
 Clinozoisite and Epidote
Diagnostic properties:
1.It is identified by it’s
hardness 7
2.Color and
3.Perfect cleavage.
Occurrence:
1.In low and medium grained
metamorphic rocks.
2.Epidote occurs in contact
metamorphosed limestone.
3.In cavities in basalt.
NON SILICATES
 Non Silicates
1. Native Elements 3. Oxides and Hydroxides
Gold Magnetite
Arsenic Hematite
Diamond Ilmenite
Graphite Rutile
Copper Corundum
Cuprite
2. Sulfides and Sulfosalts
Chalcocite 4. Halides
Galena Halite
Pyrite Flourite
Chalcopyrite
Cinnabar
Marcasite
 Non Silicates
5. Carbonates, Nitrates, 7. Phosphates, Arsenates,
Borates Vanadates
Calcite Monazite
Dolomite Apatite
Malachite
Azurite
Aragonite
Siderite

6. Sulfates, Chromates,
Molybdates, Tungstates
Barite
Gypsum