Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic Time
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral Quiz
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

GeneralCommon meaning

24th Apr 2016 17:11 UTCIan Clec

Good evening.


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

IAN, You actually ask an interesting question. To me as a collector and non-geologist, your question has several levels of meaning. There is the more or less technical geological meaning where one or several elements easily combine to make a mineral within a wide variety of circumstances such as igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary conditions and under a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Then the mineral becomes found within a wide variety of geologic circumstances.

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

Ian, for me "common" is a relative term. On a world-wide scale, calcite is common, quartz is common, iron oxides are common. On a local scale, things like malachite, azurite, willemite, cerussite, microcline, etc. are common. So, it seems that the usage is relative to the area being discussed.


Just my opinion....


Don S.

24th Apr 2016 18:41 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Fully agree with Don! It's more a locality issue than anything else.

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

+1


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

There's another type of "common" among collectors, things that are relatively scarce in nature but are commonly found in collections due to their popularity with collectors.


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

Another example of a "common" mineral is jarosite: it forms from the weathering of pyrite: so it occurs in most pyrite-bearing localities,but nearly always in small quantities and as crusts. So, it is common but not known and seldom collected.

24th Apr 2016 23:39 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

It's like asking, what does "warm" mean? How many degrees is a "warm" day? The answer could be very different depending what part of the globe you are standing on and what month it is and even whom you ask. No definable boundary between "warm" and "not warm". Same for "common" and "uncommon".


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

As has been said, there are a lot of ways to look at an answer to this. One way to look at this is when one visits either a mineral show or an individual to see their collections, what does one always see. At shows you see the same minerals at most shows, fluorite, pyrite, tourmaline, quartz, etc. "Common" could be looked at this way in the realm of mineral "collecting". When you go to a mineral show and see rows of zeolites from India, that you would say is common.
 
Mineral and/or Locality  
Mindat Discussions Facebook Logo Instagram Logo Discord Logo
Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
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
Go to top of page