Fluorite is a unique mineral that can be found in more colors than any other mineral including blue, red, purple, yellow, green or white. It is the example mineral with a hardness of 4 on the Mohs hardness scale.Fluorite has a white streak and a glassy luster.It is often formed in hydrothermal (hot water) veins within other rocks.Fluorite is often found with other minerals such as galena, calcite, quartz, sphalerite and borite.Crystals of fluorite can form in cube (squares) or octahedron (diamond) shapes.Fluorite is made of calcium fluoride and is used in the production of enamels, hydrofluoric acid, cooking utensils, telescopes and camera lenses.
Fluorite Trivia:
óFluorite crystals often grow together which is called twinning.
óFluorite crystals will fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
óJewelers sometimes facet fluorite crystals and use them as imitation diamond.
óIn addition to forming cubes and octahedrons, fluorite can occur in bands.
One of the most famous forms of banded fluorite is called Blue John and found in Derbyshire, United Kingdom.
A:Magma is the term used for liquid rock which forms deep below the Earth’s surface.Magma can be composed of many different things such as silicates, alkalis, iron and magnesium.The composition of the magma will determine the type of rocks which it will eventually form.
Q:What rocks are changed by high pressure and high temperature?
A:The change of a rock by high temperature and pressure is called metamorphism.This is the process by which metamorphic rocks are formed.Any rock can be changed by metamorphic processes.
Q:What term for metamorphic rock with banded texture?
A:You may be referring to “foliation” which is the layering within a metamorphic rock.Foliation occurs when there is a strong pressure applied to the rock in one direction, just like when you put your hands flat together and push.When this pressure is applied, certain minerals, like mica and chlorite, grow with their long direction perpendicular to the pressure.This make the rock appear with layering and/or banding.
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A few weeks ago, I did an interview on Lowcountry Live, a local television show in Charleston, SC. I really appreciate Lowcountry Live having me on the show! Check out the video here:
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Pearls are a beautiful organic gemstone which is formed in a variety of colors and shapes.Pearls form inside of mollusk shells such as oysters and mussels.This unique gemstone is made of primarily the mineral aragonite.Aragonite is the mineral that lines the inside of the mollusk shell.An organic substance, called conchiolin, is also known to line the inside of the shell.When shell linings are made of aragonite and conchiolin together, it is called mother-of-pearl.
To form the gemstone pearl, a grain of sand must get trapped inside the mollusk shell.The aragonite forms in circles around the sand grain.It can take between 2 and 8 years for a large pearl to be formed.Fairly soft, pearls are a 3 on the Mohs hardness scale and have a white streak.The luster, “pearly,” is often used to describe the look of other minerals with similar outward appearance.Pearls can form in both freshwater and salt water and can be round and smooth to oblong and uneven.Common colors of pearls include white, cream and black; however, other colors such as blue, yellow, gray, green, light purple and mauve can also be found.
Read about more minerals, rocks and geology topics at Mini Me Geology’s “Dig Into Science” section of the website.
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Staurolite is a unique mineral which often forms cross-shaped twinned crystals.While staurolite is generally brown it has a colorless to grey streak and it is about as hard as quartz (7 to 7.5 on Mohs hardness scale).The name staurolite comes from the Greek word stauros which means “cross.”Staurolite forms in metamorphic rocks such as schists and gneisses.
Trivia:
Staurolite forms only in rocks which are metamorphosed within a narrow range of temperatures and pressures.
Because staurolite forms under specific conditions it is a good indicator mineral for determining the conditions under which a rocks forms.
Staurolite is found in Georgia, New Mexico, France and Brazil.
Twinned staurolite crystals can form a cross shape which are often made into jewelry. Shop for Staurolite crystals at Mini Me Geology today!
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Mini Me Geology is proud to announce our Create-A-Kit Rock and Mineral collections. Visit our website today and choose 15 of your favorite rocks and minerals. We will customize your kit with an identification card for each sample, a hand lens, and a streak plate if you choose minerals.Plus, we will personalize your collection with your selection of titles. So, create “Mark’s Mineral Collection” or “Samantha’s Samples” or anything else you can think of today! Create-a-Kit collections are great for holidays, birthdays, classrooms and homeschool families.
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OK, today I thought I would talk a little about Herkimer Diamonds. If you know what they are, you’ll probably agree with me that they are so cool!
Sorry!Herkimer Diamonds are not real diamonds.Herkimer Diamonds are actually quartz crystals that are naturally formed with points on both ends of the crystal.These crystals are somewhat rare because in order to form with these double points, the quartz must have very little contact with the surrounding rock while the crystal is being formed.The term Herkimer Diamond can only truly be used with samples found in Herkimer County, New York, although double point quartz crystals have been found in other locations throughout the world.
You can see a photo of some Herkimer Diamonds here.
For more great information on Geology, Rocks and Minerals check out the Mini Me Geology website and our Dig into Geology section for more great information, free project and experiment ideas and puzzles!
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One of the most interesting topics in geology is the Rock Cycle.The Rock Cycle is the method by which minerals are made into sedimentary and igneous rocks, which are then made into metamorphic rocks.The cycle continues when all of these sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks break down into mineral and small rock pieces and form new rocks.Are you still wondering what I’m talking about?Here is an example:The mineral quartz makes up common beach sand.That beach sand will, over time, form into a sandstone sedimentary rock.When a sandstone is buried and heated it becomes a quartzite metamorphic rock.The sandstone and quartzite can either be buried, melted and formed into part of a new igneous rock, like granite, or it can breakdown and form a new sedimentary rock such as conglomerate.
For more great information rocks, minerals and geology, visit the Dig into Geology section of our website.
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Are you looking for something fun to try with your kids this summer?Try this fun experiment to learn more about growing mineral crystals.You will need:
Clean Jar
String (we prefer cotton)
Scissors
Tape (optional)
Pencil
1-2 Cups boiling water (kids, get your parents help)
1-2 Cups table salt
Notebook
Camera (optional)
Step 1:Boil the water and then transfer it to your clean jar.
Step 2:Pour in enough salt to saturate the water.Stir until all of the salt that can dissolve is dissolved.If you see salt crystals in the bottom of your jar that will not dissolve then you have probably saturated your water and are ready for Step 3.
Step 3:Tie a piece of string to a pencil and hang the string in the water.Rest the pencil across the top of your jar and tape it in place if necessary.Make sure that the string does not touch any of the salt at the bottom of the jar.
Step 4:Leave the string in place over night.
Observe:
The next day, take the string out of the jar and observe if salt crystals have formed on the string.Salt crystals may take some time to get large so if you want to grow large crystals, replace the salt water solution daily.Don’t forget to document your experiment.We would love to see photos of your crystals.You are now a true Mini Me Geologist!
For more experiment and project ideas as well as word finds and cross word puzzles, check out the Dig Into Geology section of our website.
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Spark a child’s interest in the Earth with this collection of 15 fantastic minerals.Each kit includes a white streak plate, black streak plate, hand magnifier, and identification cards which include a photo and fun mineral facts for each sample.Kids can try to identify each mineral using the streak plates, hand magnifier, and identification cards.But, if they need a hint, the name of each mineral is beneath the foam padding.Details on how to use you the streak plates, hand magnifier, ID cards and a special identification chart are available for download at the “Dig Into Geology” section of our website. You can order your My Rockin’ Collection! Minerals here!
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Staurolite
