A rock-forming potassium feldspar mineral, microcline was discovered in 1830 in Norway. The name comes from the Greek words meaning “little” and “to incline,” in allusion to the small departure from monoclinic symmetry. It is found in plutonic felsic rocks, and in pegmatites, where it may be intimately intergrown with quartz forming graphic granite. The green variety is called Amazon stone.

A member of the plagioclase feldspar group and the Ca-rich end member of the albite-anorthite series, this mineral is one of the rock-forming minerals. It forms in mafic plutonic rocks. Its name comes from the Greek word meaning “not right angle” or “oblique,” in allusion to the oblique triclinic form of the crystals.

A member of the plagioclase feldspar group and the Na-rich end member of the albite-anorthite series, this mineral is one of the rock-forming minerals. It is found in felsic plutonic rocks. Its name comes from the Latin word meaning “white,” alluding to its usual color. As with all plagioclase feldspars, this mineral will display twinning striations on a cleavage face.

A “1” on Mohs hardness scale, this mineral can be identified by its softness and greasy feel. It is formed from the hydrothermal alteration of mafic rocks and during low-temperature metamorphism. It is used for laboratory table tops, electric switchboards, and as soapstone. The name comes from the Arabic word for “pure,” probably alluding to the color of its powder.

Kaolinite is a common mineral, formed by weathering or hydrothermal alteration of feldspar. Many and varied products are made from this mineral which includes common brick, drain tile, and in high-grade form, china and pottery. Its largest use is as filler in paper. The name is derived from the ancient Chinese locality “Kaoling (Gaoling),” meaning “high ridge.”

This mineral was named from the Greek word meaning “axe”, in allusion to the common habit of its crystals and the iron in the formula. It is found in low to high grade regionally-metamorphosed rocks, contact metamorphic rocks, and pegmatites.

This mineral is easily identified by its blue, pearly, bladed crystals. It is found in metamorphic environments, often with garnet, staurolite, and corundum. It was named in 1789 by A.G. Werner from the Greek word kyanos meaning blue.

Easily recognized by its color, turquoise is harder than chrysocolla, the only common mineral which it resembles. It is used as a gemstone and is cut in round or oval forms. Named in antiquity from the French turquoise meaning “Turkish,” the original material from the mountains of Iran found its way to Europe through Turkey.

Occurs primarily in granite pegmatites of the lithium- and phosphate-rich type. Crystals may be enormous in size. Discovered in 1818, this mineral’s name comes from two Greek words meaning “blunt” and “angle,” in allusion to the angle between the cleavages.

Chalcanthite is a rare mineral due to being a water-soluble sulphate. It is a secondary blue-colored mineral formed in arid climates or in rapidly oxidizing copper deposits. It usually forms post-mining, crystallizing on mine walls and by the action of acidic surface waters on copper veins. It was discovered in 1853 at the Chuquicamata Mine, Chile, where it is an important ore mineral. It is named from two Greek words meaning “brass/copper” and “flower.”