Minerals.net

Water is not classified as a mineral, since it lacks a crystal structure being that i...  More

Water is not classified as a mineral, since it lacks a crystal structure being that it is in a liquid form. Many scientific groups and references, including the acclaimed Dana's System of Mineralogy, categorize mineraloids such as Opal and Mercury together with the "true" minerals. However, virtually all mineral reference guides, including Dana's, exclude water from being classified as a mineral. (When water solidifies and turns into Ice, however, it is considered a mineral by all accounts.) We have included water in thus guide for the purpose of delineating its properties so that it can be compared to the true minerals. Water and Mercury are the only two naturally occurring, inorganic substances with a definitive chemical formula that occur in a liquid state at normal temperatures.

Water covers more than 3/4 of the earth's surface, and is its most common and vital resource. It is a major solvent, dissolving more substances than any other liquid. For this reason, water is almost always impure.
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Wavellite is a classic radiating mineral, forming spectacular pinwheel aggregates ema...  More

Wavellite is a classic radiating mineral, forming spectacular pinwheel aggregates emanating from a central core in spherulitic balls. When the balls are complete, the radial structure is internal and not usually visible. A crystal aggregate needs to be fractured to see and appreciate the outstanding radial habit of Wavellite. Wavellite was named in 1805 after William Wavell, an English physician who first discovered this mineral.
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div Willemite is one of the most well known fluorescent minerals, and its fame is att...  More

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Witherite is an uncommon mineral, especially since it easily alter s to the more comm...  More

Witherite is an uncommon mineral, especially since it easily alters to the more common mineral Barite. It alters when sulfuric acid from sulfide minerals dissolves the Witherite, and the sulfur combines with the barium to form Barite. Witherite is also formed from Calcite that loses its calcium, and gets replaced by barium, thus forming Witherite in the process.

Witherite was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in honor of William Withering (1741-1799), an English geologist, chemist, botanist, and physician. Withering is credited with the identification of this mineral as a separate species from Barite.  Hide

i i Wolframite is not scientifically classified as an individual mineral species by t...  More

Wolframite is not scientifically classified as an individual mineral species by the IMA. However, it is universally recognized as a mineral series, with the minerals Huebnerite and Ferberite being its end members. Huebnerite is the manganese-rich end member, and Ferberite is the iron-rich end member. The term Wolframite can be used generally to describe unspecified members of this group, or to describe the intermediary member of this series. Wolframite is named for its tungsten content, since wolfram means tungsten in German.
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Wollastonite was named in honor William Hyde Wollaston 1766 1828 , a British chemist ...  More

Wollastonite was named in honor William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828), a British chemist and physicist noted for his inventions in optics. It is an important industrial mineral and is well known for its good fluorescence.
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Wulfenite is a favorite among mineral collectors. It forms outstanding crystals and a...  More

Wulfenite is a favorite among mineral collectors. It forms outstanding crystals and aggregates in a vibrant color that few minerals can match. Wulfenite forms a series with the rarer mineral Stolzite, which contains tungsten in place of the molybdenum. Wulfenite is named in honor of Austrian mineralogist Franz Xavier von Wulfen (1728-1805).
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Wurtzite is a rare, high temperature polymorph of the common mineral Sphalerite . It ...  More

Wurtzite is a rare, high temperature polymorph of the common mineral Sphalerite. It forms at temperatures above 2192º F (1200º C) as hexagonal crystals. An ornamental stone known as Schalenblende (an intergrowth of Wurtzite, Sphalerite, and often Galena) is usually referenced with Wurtzite but is more often listed as a variety of Sphalerite.  Hide