Silicate mineral


Silicate mineral, any of a large group of silicon-oxygen compounds that are widely distributed throughout much of the solar system. A brief treatment of silicate minerals follows. For full treatment, see mineral: Silicates.

Silicate minerals
name colour lustre Mohs hardness specific gravity
Tectosilicates (three-dimensional networks)
feldspar (for other examples, see feldspar)
orthoclase flesh-red, white to pale yellow, red, green vitreous 6–6½ 2.6
feldspathoid (for other examples, see feldspathoid)
nepheline light-coloured; reddish, greenish, brownish vitreous to greasy 5½–6 2.6–2.7
silica (for other examples, see silica mineral)
quartz variable vitreous to greasy (coarse-grained); waxy to dull (fine-grained) 7 (a hardness standard) 2.65
zeolite (for other examples, see zeolite)
chabazite white; flesh-red vitreous 2.0–2.1
Phyllosilicates (sheet structures)
clay (for other examples, see clay mineral)
chlorite green vitreous or pearly 2–3 2.6–3.0
smectite 2.2–2.7
mica (for other examples, see mica)
apophyllite colourless, white, pink, pale yellow, or green pearly iridescent 4½–5 2.3–2.4
muscovite commonly white or colourless; light shades of green, red, or brown vitreous to silky or pearly 2–2½ 2.8–3.0
prehnite pale green to gray, white, or yellow vitreous 6–6½ 2.9–3.0
pyrophyllite white and various pale colours dull and glistening 1–2 2.6–2.9
talc colourless; white; pale or dark green; brown pearly 1 (a hardness standard) 2.6–2.8
Inosilicates (chain structures)
amphibole (for other examples, see amphibole)
common hornblende pale to dark green glassy 5–6 3.0–3.4
mullite white 3.0
pyroxene (for other examples, see pyroxene)
augite brown, green, black vitreous 5½–6 3.2–3.5
rhodonite pink to brownish red vitreous 5½–6½ 3.6–3.8
wollastonite white; also colourless, gray, or very pale green vitreous 4½–5 2.9–3.1
Cyclosilicates (ring structures)
axinite clove- or lilac-brown; pearl-gray; yellowish highly glassy 6½–7 3.3–3.4
beryl various greens; variable, including deep-green (emerald), blue-green (aquamarine), pink (morganite), yellow (heliodore) vitreous 7½–8 2.7–2.8
cordierite various blues vitreous 7 2.5–2.8
tourmaline extremely variable vitreous to resinous 7–7½ 3.0–3.2
Sorosilicates (double tetrahedral structures)
hemimorphite white, sometimes tinted bluish or greenish; yellow to brown vitreous 5 3.4–3.5
melilite colourless; grayish green; brown vitreous to resinous 5–6
gehlenite 3.1
åkermanite 2.9
Nesosilicates (independent tetrahedral structures)
andalusite pink, white, or rose-red; also variable vitreous 6½–7½ 3.1–3.2
chrysocolla green, bluish green vitreous 2–4 2.0–2.8
datolite colourless or white; also various pale tints vitreous 5–5½ 2.9–3.0
epidote yellowish green to dark green vitreous 6–7 3.3–3.5
garnet variable vitreous to resinous 6–7½
almandine 4.3
andradite 3.9
grossularite 3.6
pyrope 3.6
spessartite 4.2
uvarovite 3.9
kyanite blue; white; also variable vitreous to pearly 4–7 (variable) 3.5–3.7
olivine (for other examples, see olivines)
forsterite-fayalite series various greens and yellows vitreous 6½–7 3.2 (forsterite) to 4.4 (fayalite)
phenacite colourless; also wine-yellow, pale rose, brown vitreous 7½–8 3.0
sillimanite colourless or white; also various browns and greens vitreous to subadamantine 6½–7½ 3.2–3.3
sphene colourless, yellow, green, brown, black adamantine to resinous 5 3.4–3.6
staurolite dark red-brown; yellow-brown; brown-black subvitreous to resinous 7–7½ 3.7–3.8
thorite black; also orange-yellow (orangite) 4½–5 4.5–5.0; 5.2–5.4 (orangite)
topaz straw- or wine-yellow; white; grayish, greenish, bluish, reddish vitreous 8 (a hardness standard) 3.5–3.6
vesuvianite yellow, green, brown vitreous 6–7 3.3–3.4
willemite white or greenish yellow vitreous to resinous 3.9–4.2
zircon reddish brown, yellow, gray, green, or colourless adamantine 4.6–4.7
zoisite white; gray; green-brown; pink (thulite) vitreous 6–6½ 3.2–3.4
name habit fracture or cleavage refractive indices crystal system
Tectosilicates (three-dimensional networks)
feldspar (for other examples, see feldspar)
orthoclase twinned crystals two good cleavages of 90 degrees alpha = 1.518–1.529
beta = 1.522–1.533
gamma = 1.522–1.539
feldspathoid (for other examples, see feldspathoid)
nepheline small glassy crystals or grains poor cleavage omega = 1.529–1.546
epsilon = 1.526–1.542
silica (for other examples, see silica mineral)
quartz prismatic and rhombohedral crystals; massive conchoidal fracture omega = 1.544
epsilon = 1.553
zeolite (for other examples, see zeolite)
chabazite single, cubelike rhombohedrons poor cleavage omega = 1.470–1.494
epsilon = 1.470–1.494
Phyllosilicates (sheet structures)
clay (for other examples, see clay mineral)
chlorite large crystalline blocks; fine-grained, flaky aggregates platy cleavage alpha = 1.57–1.64
gamma = 1.575–1.645
monoclinic or triclinic
smectite broad undulating mosaic sheets that break into irregular fluffy masses of minute particles alpha = 1.480–1.590
gamma = 1.515–1.630
mica (for other examples, see mica)
apophyllite tabular, prismatic, or granular crystals; prisms and bipyramids when well-formed one perfect, one poor cleavage omega = 1.534–1.535
epsilon = 1.535–1.537
muscovite large tabular blocks (called books); pseudohexagonal crystals; fine-grained aggregates one perfect, platy cleavage alpha = 1.552–1.574
beta = 1.582–1.610
gamma = 1.587–1.616
prehnite rosettes of small radiating crystals; tabular or prismatic crystals; lamellar or botryoidal massive one good cleavage alpha = 1.611–1.632
beta = 1.615–1.642
gamma = 1.632–1.665
pyrophyllite lamellar massive; granular to compact massive one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.534–1.556
beta = 1.586–1.589
gamma = 1.596–1.601
talc compact foliated masses one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.539–1.553
beta = 1.589–1.594
gamma = 1.589–1.600
Inosilicates (chain structures)
amphibole (for other examples, see amphibole)
common hornblende massive one good cleavage of 56 degrees alpha = 1.615–1.705
beta = 1.618–1.714
gamma = 1.632–1.730
mullite elongated prismatic crystals; melts one distinct cleavage alpha = 1.642–1.653
beta = 1.644
gamma = 1.654–1.679
pyroxene (for other examples, see pyroxene)
augite short, thick, tabular crystals one good cleavage of 87 degrees alpha = 1.671–1.735
beta = 1.672–1.741
gamma = 1.703–1.761
rhodonite rounded tabular crystals; cleavable to compact massive; embedded grains two perfect cleavages alpha = 1.711–1.738
beta = 1.715–1.741
gamma = 1.724–1.751
wollastonite cleavable, fibrous, or compact massive; tabular crystals one perfect, two good cleavages alpha = 1.616–1.640
beta = 1.628–1.650
gamma = 1.631–1.653
Cyclosilicates (ring structures)
axinite broad, sharp-edged, wedge-shaped crystals; lamellar massive one good cleavage alpha = 1.674–1.693
beta = 1.681–1.701
gamma = 1.684–1.704
beryl long hexagonal crystals conchoidal to uneven fracture omega = 1.569–1.598
epsilon = 1.565–1.590
cordierite short prismatic crystals; embedded grains; compact massive one distinct cleavage alpha = 1.522–1.558
beta = 1.524–1.574
gamma = 1.527–1.578
tourmaline parallel or radiating groups of striated, elongated hexagonal prisms, often rounded or barrel-shaped; massive subconchoidal to uneven fracture omega = 1.635–1.675
epsilon = 1.610–1.650
Sorosilicates (double tetrahedral structures)
hemimorphite sheaflike crystal aggregates one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.614
beta = 1.617
gamma = 1.636
melilite short prismatic crystals; tablets one distinct cleavage tetragonal
gehlenite omega = 1.669
epsilon = 1.658
åkermanite omega = 1.632
epsilon = 1.640
Nesosilicates (independent tetrahedral structures)
andalusite coarse prisms; massive one good cleavage of 89 degrees alpha = 1.629–1.640
beta = 1.633–1.644
gamma = 1.638–1.650
chrysocolla crusts; botryoidal masses conchoidal fracture omega = 1.46
epsilon = 1.54
datolite tabular or short prismatic crystals; botryoidal and globular or divergent and radiating massive conchoidal to uneven fracture alpha = 1.622–1.626
beta = 1.649–1.654
gamma = 1.666–1.670
epidote striated elongated crystals; fibrous or granular massive; disseminated one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.712–1.756
beta = 1.720–1.789
gamma = 1.723–1.829
garnet crystals; irregular embedded grains; compact, granular, or lamellar massive subconchoidal fracture isometric
almandine n = 1.830
andradite n = 1.887
grossularite n = 1.734
pyrope n = 1.714
spessartite n = 1.800
uvarovite n = 1.86
kyanite elongated tabular, bladed crystals one good, one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.712–1.718
beta = 1.719–1.723
gamma = 1.727–1.734
olivine (for other examples, see olivines)
forsterite-fayalite series flattened crystals; compact or granular massive; embedded grains one indistinct cleavage alpha = 1.631–1.827
beta = 1.651–1.869
gamma = 1.670–1.879
phenacite rhombohedral crystals one distinct cleavage omega = 1.654
epsilon = 1.670
sillimanite vertically striated, square prisms; long, slender parallel crystal groups to fibrous or columnar massive one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.654–1.661
beta = 1.658–1.670
gamma = 1.673–1.684
sphene wedge-shaped crystals, often twinned; compact massive one good cleavage alpha = 1.843–1.950
beta = 1.870–2.034
gamma = 1.943–2.110
staurolite cruciform twins one distinct cleavage alpha = 1.739–1.747
beta = 1.744–1.754
gamma = 1.750–1.762
thorite square prismatic crystals; small masses one distinct cleavage omega = 1.8 tetragonal
topaz prismatic crystals one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.606–1.629
beta = 1.609–1.631
gamma = 1.616–1.638
vesuvianite prismatic crystals; massive subconchoidal to uneven fracture omega = 1.703–1.752
epsilon = 1.700–1.746
willemite hexagonal prismatic crystals; disseminated grains; fibrous massive one easy cleavage omega = 1.691–1.714
epsilon = 1.719–1.732
zircon square prismatic crystals; irregular forms; grains conchoidal fracture omega = 1.923–1.960
epsilon = 1.968–2.015
zoisite striated prismatic crystals; columnar to compact massive one perfect cleavage alpha = 1.685–1.705
beta = 1.688–1.710
gamma = 1.697–1.725

The silicates make up about 95 percent of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle, occurring as the major constituents of most igneous rocks and in appreciable quantities in sedimentary and metamorphic varieties as well. They also are important constituents of lunar samples, meteorites, and most asteroids. In addition, planetary probes have detected their occurrence on the surfaces of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Of the approximately 600 known silicate minerals, only the feldspars, amphiboles, pyroxenes, micas, olivines, feldspathoids, and zeolites are significant in rock formation.

The basic structural unit of all silicate minerals is the silicon tetrahedron in which one silicon atom is surrounded by and bonded to (i.e., coordinated with) four oxygen atoms, each at the corner of a regular tetrahedron. These SiO4 tetrahedral units can share oxygen atoms and be linked in a variety of ways, which results in different structures. The topology of these structures forms the basis for silicate classification. For example, sorosilicates are silicate minerals consisting of double tetrahedral groups in which one oxygen atom is shared by two tetrahedrons. Inosilicates show a single-chain structure wherein each tetrahedron shares two oxygen atoms. Phyllosilicates have a sheet structure in which each tetrahedron shares one oxygen atom with each of three other tetrahedrons. Tectosilicates show a three-dimensional network of tetrahedrons, with each tetrahedral unit sharing all of its oxygen atoms.

Details of the linkage of tetrahedrons became known early in the 20th century when X-ray diffraction made the determination of crystal structure possible. Prior to this, the classification of silicates was based on chemical and physical similarities, which often proved to be ambiguous. Although many properties of a silicate mineral group are determined by tetrahedral linkage, an equally important factor is the type and location of other atoms in the structure.

Silicate minerals can be thought of as three-dimensional arrays of oxygen atoms that contain void spaces (i.e., crystallographic sites) where various cations can enter. Besides the tetrahedral (4-fold coordination) sites, 6-fold, 8-fold, and 12-fold sites are common. A correlation exists between the size of a cation (a positively charged ion) and the type of site it can occupy: the larger the cation, the greater the coordination, because large cations have more surface area with which the oxygen atoms can make contact. Tetrahedral sites are generally occupied by silicon and aluminum; 6-fold sites by aluminum, iron, titanium, magnesium, lithium, manganese, and sodium; 8-fold sites by sodium, calcium, and potassium; and 12-fold sites by potassium. Elements of similar ionic size often substitute for one another. An aluminum ion, for example, is only slightly larger than a silicon ion, allowing substitution for silicon in both tetrahedral and 6-fold sites.

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