Glossary of Terms - The Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom

Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ALL

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Abrasive	Effervescent	Magmatic	REE
Absolute hardness	Effloresce	Magmatite	Reflection
Absorption spectra	Efflorescence	Magmatite rock	Reflective
Absorption spectrum	Efflorescent	Magnesia	Refract
Accessory mineral	Eightling	Magnet	Refraction
Acicular	Elastic	Magnetic	Refractive index
Acid	Electric	Magnetic field	Refractive indices
Acid test	Electrical	Magnetism	Refractometer
Activator	Electricity	Malleability	Relative density
Adamantine	Electromagnetic radiation	Malleable	Reniform
Adularescence	Electrometallurgy	Mammilary	Repeated twinning
Adularescent	Electron	Mantle	Repeated twins
Aggregate	Element	Marble	Replace
Alkali	Elements	Marquise	Replaced
Alkali Feldspar	Elongated	Massive	Replacement
Alkaline	Embedded crystal	Matrix	Replacing
Alloy	Emerald	Melee	Resinlike luster
Alloyed	Emerald cut	Melting point	Resinous
Alloying	Empirical formula	Mesothermal vein	Resinous luster
Alluvial	Enaniotropic	Metal	Resistance
Alluvial deposit	Encrust	Metallic	Resistant
Alluvion	Encrustation	Metallic elements	Reticulated
Alluvium	Encrusting	Metallic luster	Rhomb
Alpha rays	End member	Metallurgy	Rhomb-scalenohedron
Alpine	Engrave	Metamict	Rhombic
Alpine cavity	Engraving	Metamiction	Rhombic dodecahedron
Alter	Environment	Metamorphasized	Rhombohedral
Alteration	Epimorph	Metamorphic	Rhombohedral cleavage
Altered	Epitaxial overgrowth	Metamorphic rock	Rhombohedron
Amalgam	Epitaxy	Metamorphism	Rhyolite
Amber	Epithermal vein	Metamorphosed	Rift
Ammonia	Epsom salts	Metasilicate chains	Ring silicates
Ammonium hydroxide	Equant	Metasilicate rings	Rock
Amorphous	Equidimensional	Metasilicates	Rock crystal
Amphibole	Eroded	Metasomatically	Rock shop
Amphibole group	Erosion	Metasomatism	Rock show
Amygdule	Euhedral	Metastability	Rock-forming mineral
Anhydrous	Evaporate	Metastable	Rosette
Anhydrous borates	Evaporation	Meteor	Rough
Anhydrous sulfates	Evaporite	Meteoric	Round
Anion	Evaporite deposit	Meteorite	Rust
Anisotropic	Even	Meteoroid	Rusting
Anisotropism	Even fracture	Mica	Rutilated
Anticline	Exfoliate	Mica group	Rutile twin
Antimonides	Extract	Micaceous	Saccharoidal
Apatite group	Extraction	Microcrystal	Saline
Aqua fortis	Extraterrestrial	Microcrystalline	Saline deposit
Aqua regia	Extrusive	Micromount	Saline lake
Aqueous	Face	Miller Index	Salinity
Aragonite group	Facet	Miller indices	Salt
Arborescent	Faceted	Mine	Salt dome
Argentiferous	Faceting	Miner	Salt Lake
Argillacious	Fault	Mineral	Sand
Arid	Feldspar	Mineral group	Sandstone
Arsenates	Feldspar group	Mineral series	Sassuritization
Arsenide	Feldspathoid	Mineral show	Scalenohedral
Arsenides	Feldspathoid group	Mineralogical	Scalenohedron
Asbestos	Felsic	Mineralogically	Scales
Asbestos amphibole	Ferrian	Mineralogist	Scaly
Asterism	Ferroginous	Mineralogy	Scepter
Asteroid	Ferromagnetic	Mineraloid	Schiller
Asymmetrical	Ferromagnetism	Mining	Schist
Atom	Ferrous	Mixed crystal	Sclerometer
Atomic	Fiber	Mohs Hardness scale	Scoria
Atomic structure	Fibrous	Mohs Scale	Secondary
Atomical	Filiform	Molecular	Secondary mineral
Atomical arrangement	Fire	Molecular arrangement	Sectile
Atomically	Fishtail twin	Molecular structure	Sectility
Auriferous	Fissile	Molecule	Sediment
Autochthonous	Fissility	Mollusk	Sedimentary
Aventurescence	Flaky	Molten	Sedimentary rock
Aventurization	Flame test	Molten rock	Sedimentation process
Axes	Flat	Molybdates	Selenides
Axis	Flaw	Monochromatic	Selvage
Axis of symmetry	Flawless	Monoclinic	Semi-metal
Band	Flexibility	Monotropic	Semi-metallic
Banded	Flexible	Mother of pearl luster	Semi-metallic elements
Banding	Flexible and elastic	Mother rock	Semi-precious
Basal	Flexible but inelastic	Mother-of-pearl	Semi-precious gemstone
Basal cleavage	Floater	Mottled	Series
Basal pinacoid	Floater crystal	Multicolored	Setting
Basalt	Flow banding	Multiple oxides	Shaft
Base	Flowstone	Mylonite	Shale
Basic	Fluoresce	Nacre	Sheaflike
Batholith	Fluorescence	Nacreous	Sheet silicates
Bead test	Fluorescent	Native	Shelly fracture
Bed	Fluorescent lamp	Native elements	Shortwave
Bedding	Fluorite twin	Natural glass	Silica
Bedrock	Fluvial	Nepheline syenite	Silica gel
Belemnite	Fluvial deposit	Nesosilicates	Silica group
Beta rays	Flux	Neutron	Silicafied
Bipyramid	Fold	Nitrate	Silicate
Bipyramidal	Foliated	Nitrates	Silicates
Bipyramidal hexagon	Form	Nitrates Group	Siliceous
Bipyramidal hexagonal	Formula	Nitric acid	Silky
Bipyramidal hexagonal prism	Fossil	Nodular	Silky luster
Birefringence	Fossiliferous	Nodule	Sill
Birthstone	Fossilization	Non-crystalline	Silt
Bitumen	Fossilize	Non-metallic	Simple oxides
Bituminous	Fossilized	Non-metallic elements	Simple sulfides
Bladed	Fourling	Nonbrittle	Sinter
Blowpipe test	Fracture	Nonmetal	Sixling
Boiling point	Framework silicates	Nuclei	Skarn
Bond	Freezing point	Nucleus	Skeletal
Borate	Friable	Nugget	Slab
Borates	Fulgurite	Obsidian	Slag
Borax	Fumarole	Occurrence	Slate
Botryoid	Fusion	Ochre	Smelt
Botryoidal	Gabbro	Octacube	Smooth fracture
Boule	Gamma rays	Octagon	Snakehead
Brass	Gangue	Octahedra	Soil
Breccia	Gangue material	Octahedral	Solid solution
Brecciated	Garnet Group	Octahedral cleavage	Solidify
Brilliant cut	Garnet paper	Octahedral cube	Solubility
Brilliant luster	Geiger counter	Octahedron	Soluble
Brine	Gem	Oil of vitriol	Solution
Brittle	Gemminess	Oiling	Solvent
Bronze	Gemmy	Oily luster	Sorosilicates
Brownspar	Gemological	Oolite	Spar
Bullion	Gemologist	Oolitic	Specific gravity
Cabochon	Gemology	Opalesce	Specimen
Calcareous	Gemstone	Opalescence	Spectra
Calcic	Geode	Opalescent	Spectral
Calcite group	Geologic	Opalization	Spectrograph
Cameo	Geological	Opalize	Spectrometer
Capillary	Geologist	Opaque	Spectrophotometer
Carat	Geology	Open Pit	Spectroscope
Carbonate	GIA	Optical	Spectroscopy
Carbonates	Gilson Process	Optical properties	Spectrum
carbonatite	Girdle	Optics	Sphenoidal
Carlsbad twin	Glass	Ore	Spherical
Carved	Glassy luster	Organic	Spherulite
Carving	Glauber's salt	Orthorhombic	Spherulitic
Cassiterite twin	Globular	Orthosilicates	Spinel twin
Cast	Gneiss	Outcrop	Spinel-law twin
Casting	Goniometer	Oval	Splendent luster
Cat's eye	Gossan	Overtone	Splinter
Cat's eye effect	Grain	Oxidation	Splintery
Cation	Grainy	Oxidation minerals	Splintery fracture
Catseye	Gram	Oxidation zone	Square
Cave	Granite	Oxide	Stable
Cavern	Granitic	Oxides	Stalactite
Cavities	Granular	Oxidize	Stalactitic
Cavity	Gravel	Oxidized	Stalactitically
Cementation zone	Gravity	Oxidized zone	Stalagmite
Center of symmetry	Greasy	Paleontologist	Stalagmitic
Chain silicates	Greasy luster	Paleontology	Staurolite twin
Chalk	Greenschist	Pallasite	Stellate
Chatoyancy	Greenstone	Panning	Stock
Chatoyant	Group	Paragenesis	Stone
Chemical	Grouping	Paramagnetic	Strahler
Chemical bond	Guano	Paramagnetism	Strata
Chemical composition	Gwindel	Paramorph	Stratification
Chemical formula	Habit	Parting	Stratum
Chemical structure	Hackly	Patina	Streak
Chemist	Halides	Pear	Streak plate
Chemistry	Halogen	Pearl	Striated
Chert	Hard water	Pearly	Striations
Chondrite	Hardness	Pearly luster	Structural
Chondrules	Hardness testing kit	Pegmatite	Structure
Chromates	HCl	Pendant	Stubby
Chrysoberyl twin	Heart	Penetration	Stud
Clast	Heat treated	Penetration twin	Sub-metallic
Clay	Heat treating	Penetration twinning	Subconchoidal
Cleavable	Heat treatment	Pentagonal dodecahedron	Subconchoidal fracture
Cleavage	Hemimorphic	Percussion figure	Subgroup
Cleavage angle	Hemispherical	Peridotite	Sublimate
Cleavage face	Hexagon	Periodic table	Sublimation
Cleavage fragment	Hexagonal	Perky box	Submetallic
Cleavage surface	Hexagonal bipyramid	Petrifaction	Sulfate
Cleave	Hexagonal bipyramidal	Petrification	Sulfates
Cleaved	Hexagonal shape	Petrified	Sulfide
Cleaved surface	Hexoctahedral	Petrified wood	Sulfides
Cleaving	Hexoctahedron	Petrographer	Sulfosalt
Clinopinacoid	Hopper	Petrographic microscope	Sulfosalts
Clinopinacoidal	Hornfels	Petrography	Sulfuric acid
Cluster	Host mineral	Petroleum	Surrounding rock
Coal	Hot spring	Petrologist	SW
Coating	Humite group	Petrology	Swallowtail twin
Cockscomb	Hydrate	pH	Syenite
Color	Hydrated	Phantom	Symmetrical
Columnar	Hydration	Phantom growth	Symmetry
Composition	Hydrocarbons	Phenocryst	Synthesized
Compound	Hydrochloric acid	Phosphate	Synthetic
Concentric	Hydrofluoric acid	Phosphates	Synthetic gem
Conchoidal	Hydrometallurgy	Phosphoresce	Tabular
Concretion	Hydrothermal	Phosphorescence	Tarnish
Concretionary	Hydrothermal Method	Phosphorescent	Tectosilicates
Conductivity	Hydrothermal Vein	Photochromism	Tellurides
Conductor	Hydrous	Phyllosilicates	Tenacity
Conglomerate	Hydrous borates	Physicist	Tenebrescence
Contact metamorphism	Hydrous sulfates	Physics	Tenebrescent
Contact twinning	Hydroxides	Piezoelectric	Terminated
Coprolite	Hydroxyl	Piezoelectricity	Termination
Coral	Hygroscopic	Pinacoid	Tetragonal
Core	Hygroscopy	Pinacoidal	Tetragonal trisoctahedron
Coxcomb	Hypothermal vein	Pinacoidal cleavage	Tetrahedral
Crater	Icosahedra	Pipe	Tetrahedron
Crazing	Icosahedral	Pisolite	Texture
Crumbly	Icosahedron	Pisolitic	Thermal
Crust	Icosi-tetrahedron	Pit	Thermoluminescence
Crusty	Idiochromatic	Pitchlike luster	Thermoluminescent
Cryptocrystalline	Igneous	Pitchy	Thumbnail
Crystal	Igneous rock	Placer	Tourmaline group
Crystal aggregate	IMA	Placer deposit	Transformation
Crystal angle	Impure	Plagioclase twin	Translucency
Crystal class	Impurities	Plane	Translucent
Crystal face	Impurity	Plane of symmetry	Transparency
Crystal group	In Situ	Planetoid	Transparent
Crystal habit	Included	Plate	Trap rock
Crystal lattice	Inclusion	Plate-like	Trapezohedra
Crystal structure	Incrust	Plated	Trapezohedral
Crystal symmetry	Incrustation	Platy	Trapezohedron
Crystal system	Incrusting	Playa	Trapiche
Crystalline	Index of refraction	Pleochroic	Traprock
Crystallization	Indiscernible	Pleochroism	Triboluminescence
Crystallize	Inelastic	Plug	Triboluminescent
Crystallized	Infiltration	Plumose	Trichroic
Crystallographer	Ingot	Plutonic	Trichroism
Crystallographically	Inorganic	Plutonic rock	Triclinic
Crystallography	Inosilicates	Pocket	Trigonal
ct	Insoluble	Point	Trilling
Cube	Intaglio	Polished	Trillion
Cubic	Intermediary	Polishing	Triplet
Cubic cleavage	Intermediary Member	Polychromatic	Trisoctahedral
Cubic octahedron	Intrusion	Polyhedron	Trisoctahedron
Cubic system	Intrusive	Polymerization	True phosphates
Cuboctahedral	Intrusive rock	Polymorph	Trunk
Culet	Ion	Polymorphism	Tube test
Cut	Iridesce	Polymorphous	Tuberose
Cyclosilicates	Iridescence	Polysynthetic twinning	Tufa
Cymophane effect	Iridescent	Polysynthetic twins	Tufacious spring
Decomposition	Irradiate	Polytype	Tuff
Decrepitation	Irradiated	Porcelaneous	Tumbled
Dehydration	Irradiating	Porous	Tumbler
Deliquesce	Irradiation	Porphry	Tumbling
Deliquescent	Isometric	Porphyritic	Tungstates
Dendrite	Isomorph	Porphyry	Tungstates and Molybdates
Dendritic	Isomorphism	Potash	Tungstens
Density	Isomorphous	Potash feldspar	Twin
Deposit	Isotropic	Potassium feldspar group	Twinned
Detrital	Isotropization	Potspar	Twinned crystal
Detritus	Isotype	Precious gemstone	Twinning
Devitrification	Isotypism	Precious metal	Type locality
Devitrify	Isotypous	Precious stone	Uintaite
Diabase	Ivory	Precipitating	Ultrabasic
Diagenesis	Jagged	Precipitation	Ultramafic
Diamagnetic	Japan Law Twin	Primary	Ultraviolet
Diamagnetism	Japanese law twin	Primary mineral	Ultraviolet lamp
Diamondlike luster	Japanese twin	Princess	Ultraviolet light
Diaphaneity	Jet	Prism	Uneven
Diaphanous	Jewel	Prismatic	Uneven fracture
Diapir	Jeweler	Prismatic cleavage	Unstable
Dichroic	Jewelry	Prospect	UV
Dichroism	K	Prospecting	UV lamp
Diffract	K-spar	Prospector	Vanadates
Diffraction	Karat	Proton	Variable formula
Diffused	Karst	Ps.	Variety
Diffusion treatment	Kimberlite	Pseudo	Vein
Dike	Kt	Pseudo-octahedral	Vent
Dimorph	Lab	Pseudo-octahedron	Venting
Dimorphous	Laboratory	Pseudocube	Vermeil
Diorite	Labradoresce	Pseudocubic	Verneuil process
Dipyramid	Labradorescence	Pseudohexagon	Vesicle
Dipyramidal	Labradorescent	Pseudohexagonal	Vitreous
Disilicates	Laccolith	Pseudomorph	Vitreous luster
Dispersing	Lamellar	Pseudomorphed	Vitriol
Dispersion	Laminated rock	Pseudomorphism	Volatilize
Dodecahedral	Lanthanides	Pt	Volcanic
Dodecahedron	Lapidaries	Pure	Volcanic rock
Dollar	Lapidary	Pyncnometer	Volcanism
Dolomite	Lattice	Pyramidal	Volcano
Dolostone	Lava	Pyritohedral	Vug
Double refraction	Lenticular	Pyritohedron	Vulcanism
Doublet	Light	Pyroelectric	Waterworn
Doubly terminated	Light reflection	Pyroelectricity	Waxlike luster
Druse	Light refraction	Pyrometallurgy	Waxy
Drusy	Limestone	Pyrosilicates	Waxy luster
Druzy	Litmus paper	Pyroxene	Weathered
Dry lake	Locality	Pyroxene group	Weathering
Dry lake deposit	Lode	Quarried	Wheat sheaf
Ductile	Longwave	Quarries	Wheat sheaves
Ductilibility	Loupe	Quarry	White light
Ductility	Lubricant	Quartz group	Widmanstatten lines
Dull	Luminesce	Quartzite	Widmanstatten pattern
Dull luster	Luminescence	Radial	Wires
Dump	Luminescent	Radiating	Wiry
Dusting	Luster	Radiation	Wolframates
Earth science	Lustrous	Radical	X-ray
Earthy	LW	Radioactive	Xenolith
Earthy luster	Macle	Radioactivity	Zeolite
Eclogite	Macrocrystalline	Rare earth	Zeolite group
Effervesce	Mafic	Rare earth elements	Zoning
Effervescence	Magma

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