Discover

A 'mineraloid' is a mineral-like substance that does not demonstrate crystallinity. Mineraloids possess chemical compositions that vary beyond the generally accepted ranges for specific minerals. For example, obsidian is an amorphous glass and not a crystal. Jet is a dense form of coal. Opal is another mineraloid because of its non-crystal nature. Pearls, considered by some to be a mineral because of the presence of calcium carbonate crystals within their structure, would be better considered a mineraloid because the crystals are bonded by an organic material and there is no definite proportion of the components.

Contents

Common Mineraloids

See also

Common Mineraloids

★ Amber, organic, non-crystal structure.

★ Anthracite, a variety of coal, "hard coal."

★ Coal, organic, nonhomogeneous, and non-crystal structure.

★ Jet, not considered a true mineral due to organic, non-crystal nature, a mineraloid.

★ Lignite, a variety of coal, "Brown coal."

★ Limonite, amorphous hydrated iron oxide, a mineraloid.

★ Obsidian, volcanic glass - non-crystal structure.

★ Opal, non-crystal structure, a mineraloid.

★ Pearl, often considered a mineral due to crystal components, but then not a mineral due to organic origin, probably should be a mineraloid.

★ Petroleum, organic and liquid.

★ ''pyrobitumen'', organic, nonhomogeous, non-crystal structure.

★ ''Vulcanite'', vulcanized natural or synthetic rubber, thus not a mineral due to organic composition, lack of crystal structure, and not naturally occurring.

See also

★ List of minerals Mineraloids are listed after minerals in each alphabetically sorted section.