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GeneralCommon meaning
24th Apr 2016 17:11 UTCIan Clec
This is going to sound like a really silly question, but what does it mean when people say that a mineral is common?
What makes a mineral common?
In terms of its abundance and resource, how do you judge and categorise this?
Example: Andaulsite or Sapphire being relatively common.
Again, it's a simple yet silly question but I thank you for your responses.
24th Apr 2016 17:42 UTCBob Harman
The collector definition, related to the above, means to me that the mineral, commonly occurring, might be readily found without much searching in many mines, quarries, roadcuts, mountains and rocky outcrops, construction sites, beaches and other places frequented by collectors. The "common" mineral may not always be in collectible examples, but can readily be picked up and examined by even the most casual and novice observer.
That, to me, is the meaning of a "common mineral". CHEERS......BOB
24th Apr 2016 17:49 UTCDon Saathoff Expert
Just my opinion....
Don S.
24th Apr 2016 18:41 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager
What may be common in one particular area may not be so in another. As far as common species worldwide, calcite and quartz readily come to mind, but I know of places where you would not find either one.
24th Apr 2016 19:06 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
Sapphire or malachite in my neighbourhood would not just be uncommon (outside of jewellery) but would require a miracle :-)
24th Apr 2016 20:29 UTCEd Clopton 🌟 Expert
A great many mineral collections include examples (many very small) of weloganite, a nearly single-locality mineral that forms intriguing and attractive crystals. The principal source, the Francon quarry in Montreal, is closed and no longer producing specimens, so the supply is limited. Probably no more than several kilograms of weloganite are known around the world, but that quantity is dispersed widely among a lot of collections, making it relatively common in that limited sense.
And there's the opposite case, minerals that are abundant in nature but are rare in collections because they seldom produce attractive specimens; one such example is clinochlore.
24th Apr 2016 21:24 UTCErik Vercammen Expert
24th Apr 2016 23:39 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
And mineral collectors would use the term differently from the general public. For a mineral collector, native gold and diamonds are among the "common" minerals, available from hundreds of localities worldwide, easy to find on sale at any mineral show, and most collectors already have a bit in their collections. So, "common". But, alas, well-crystallized cabinet specimens that I could afford... not so common, so I have to make do with little specimens :-(
25th Apr 2016 13:39 UTCRolf Luetcke Expert
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Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: March 29, 2024 04:51:43