mineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical compositionmaterial, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread" amblygonite - a white or gray mineral consisting of lithium aluminum phosphate; a source of lithium amphibole - a mineral or mineral variety belonging to the amphibole group amphibole group - a group of minerals with similar crystal structures containing a silicate chain and combinations of chiefly sodium and calcium and magnesium and iron and aluminum apatite - a common complex mineral consisting of calcium fluoride phosphate or calcium chloride phosphate; a source of phosphorus aragonite - a mineral form of crystalline calcium carbonate; dimorphic with calcite argentite - a valuable silver ore consisting of silver sulfide (Ag2S) argyrodite - a rare steel-gray mineral consisting of silver and germanium and sulfur mineral pitch, asphalt - a dark bituminous substance found in natural beds and as residue from petroleum distillation; consists mainly of hydrocarbons augite - dark-green to black glassy mineral of the pyroxene group containing large amounts of aluminum and iron and magnesium bauxite - a clay-like mineral; the chief ore of aluminum; composed of aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides; used as an abrasive and catalyst beryl - the chief source of beryllium; colored transparent varieties are valued as gems borax - an ore of boron consisting of hydrated sodium borate; used as a flux or cleansing agent bornite, peacock ore - a mineral consisting of sulfides of copper and iron that is found in copper deposits carnallite - a white or reddish mineral consisting of hydrous chlorides of potassium and magnesium; used as a fertilizer and as a source of potassium and magnesium carnotite - a yellow radioactive mineral; an ore of uranium and radium and vanadium cassiterite - a hard heavy dark mineral that is the chief source of tin celestite - a mineral consisting of strontium sulphate chlorite - a generally green or black mineral; it occurs as a constituent of many rocks typically in the form of a flat crystal chromite - a brownish-black mineral; the major source of chromium chrysoberyl - a rare hard yellow green mineral consisting of beryllium aluminate in crystal form; used as a gemstone cinnabar - a heavy reddish mineral consisting of mercuric sulfide; the chief source of mercury cobaltite - a rare silvery-white mineral; important ore of cobalt coltan, columbite-tantalite - a valuable black mineral combining niobite and tantalite; used in cell phones and computer chips cordierite - a blue mineral of magnesium and iron and aluminum and silicon and oxygen; often used as a gemstone cristobalite - a white mineral consisting of silica; found in volcanic rocks crocolite - a rare lead chromite mineral that forms bright orange crystals cryolite, Greenland spar - a white mineral consisting of fluorides of aluminum and sodium; a source of fluorine cuprite - a mineral consisting of cuprous oxide that is a source of copper dolomite - a light colored mineral consisting of calcium magnesium carbonate; a source of magnesium; used as a ceramic and as fertilizer |