File:Amethyst (Anahi Mine, Santa Cruz, Bolivia) 3 (34600107495).jpg

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Amethyst from Bolivia.

A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 5100 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.

The silicates are the most abundant and chemically complex group of minerals. All silicates have silica as the basis for their chemistry. "Silica" refers to SiO2 chemistry. The fundamental molecular unit of silica is one small silicon atom surrounded by four large oxygen atoms in the shape of a triangular pyramid - this is the silica tetrahedron - SiO4. Each oxygen atom is shared by two silicon atoms, so only half of the four oxygens "belong" to each silicon. The resulting formula for silica is thus SiO2, not SiO4.

The simplest & most abundant silicate mineral in the Earth's crust is quartz (SiO2). All other silicates have silica + impurities. Many silicates have a significant percentage of aluminum (the aluminosilicates).

Quartz (silicon dioxide/silica - SiO2) is the most common mineral in the Earth's crust. It is composed of the two most abundant elements in the crust - oxygen and silicon. It has a glassy, nonmetallic luster, is commonly clearish to whitish to grayish in color, has a white streak, is quite hard (H≡7), forms hexagonal crystals, has no cleavage, and has conchoidal fracture. Quartz can be any color: clear, white, gray, black, brown, pink, red, purple, blue, green, orange, etc.

Purple quartz is called amethyst. The coloring agent for amethyst is not agreed upon. Some workers say that it is due to Fe+4 impurity, some say the impurity is Fe+3, and others say it is Mn.

The spectacular amethyst crystal cluster shown above is from Bolivia's remote Anahi Mine. At this site, quartz veins have intruded through dolomitic limestones.

Locality: Anahi Mine, Santa Cruz Department, eastern Bolivia


See locality info. at: <a href="https://www.mindat.org/loc-11804.html" rel="nofollow">www.mindat.org/loc-11804.html</a>


Photo gallery of quartz and amethyst <a href="http://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=3337" rel="nofollow">www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=3337</a> and

<a href="https://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=198" rel="nofollow">www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=198</a>
Date
Source Amethyst (Anahi Mine, Santa Cruz, Bolivia) 3
Author James St. John

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This image was originally posted to Flickr by James St. John at https://flickr.com/photos/47445767@N05/34600107495 (archive). It was reviewed on 5 December 2019 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

5 December 2019

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current02:05, 5 December 2019Thumbnail for version as of 02:05, 5 December 20194,000 × 3,000 (4.81 MB)Ser Amantio di Nicolao (talk | contribs)Transferred from Flickr via #flickr2commons

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