List of minerals (complete)

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It is currently not possible to have a "complete list of minerals". The International Mineralogical Association (IMA) is the international group that recognises new minerals and new mineral names. However, minerals discovered before 1959 did not go through the official naming procedure. Some minerals published previously have been either confirmed or discredited since that date. This list contains a mixture of mineral names that have been approved since 1959 and those mineral names believed to still refer to valid mineral species (these are called "grandfathered" species). Presently, each year about 50-60 new mineral species are officially approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association.[1]

The IMA/CNMNC administrates c. 6,500 names,[2] and the Handbook of Mineralogy lists 3,803 species.[3] The IMA Database of Mineral Properties/ Rruff Project lists 4,803 valid species (IMA/CNMNC) of total 4,976 minerals. Pre-IMA minerals are 1,289, 140 are approved minerals but without a published description yet and 35 are discredited (IMA/CNMNC status).[4]

The Webmineral.com lists 2,722 published and approved (IMA/CNMNC) minerals, 1,627 pre-IMA minerals, 81 discredited minerals (IMA/CNMNC status), 2,691 synonyms, 149 approved minerals but without a published description yet and 123 not approved names.[5]


Due to the length of this list, it is divided into alphabetical groups. The minerals are sorted by name.

  • Abbreviations:
    • "*" – discredited (IMA/CNMNC status).
    • "s.p." – special procedure.
    • Q or "?" – questionable/doubtful (IMA/CNMNC or Mindat.org status).
    • N – published without approval of the IMA/CNMNC, or just not an IMA approved mineral but with some acceptance in the scientific community nowadays. The 'IMA database of mineral properties' has 173 species with 'not an IMA approved mineral' tag, some are an intermediate member of a solid solution series, others are "recently" discredited minerals.[4]
    • I – intermediate member of a solid-solution series.
    • H – hypothetical mineral (synthetic, anthropogenic, etc.)
    • group – a name used to designate a group of species, sometimes only a mineral group name.


Notes [edit]

Halite/ hydrohalite phase diagram
Feldspar series
Ternary phase diagram: anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8), wollastonite (CaSiO3) and titanite (CaTiSiO5)
Sulfur/ β-sulfur diagram, rosickyite turns slowly to α-sulfur at room temperature
Theoretically predicted phase diagram of carbon
Phase diagram of Al2SiO5
(nesosilicates).[6]


  • The name of a new mineral is an IMA secret until it is approved or until its full description is published, its authors' option (IMA 09-D).[7] The IMA uses a code for its own procedures for the supposed new mineral (and so it is a synonym). Ferri-ottoliniite's proposal got code 2001-067, it was redefined and approved as 2001-067a in 2003, for instance (2012: the ottoliniite root name is discredited).
  • Current IMA regulations do not allow substances of anthropogenic origin (burning coal mine dumps, coal mine fires, slag, etc.) to be validated as a mineral species.
  • Some old minerals were known before their 20th century names were first published.
  • Some mineral names got a revision, this changed their first letters. Sodium-pharmacosiderite is now natropharmacosiderite, natroapophyllite is now apophyllite-(NaF), for instance.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] But 2010, hydroxylapatite, fluorapatite, fluorellestadite and chlorapatite got their old names back.[16]
  • Everything is slower on earth sciences, geology, mineralogy:
    • Georgius Agricola's De re metallica libri xii though apparently finished in 1550, was published 1556, the author died 1555.
    • Some IMA/CNMNC (1959–2000) approved minerals had their complete description published only 2012: 'IMA 1998-018' (fluornatromicrolite, published 2011), 'IMA 1987-046a' (ferrolaueite, published 2012), 'IMA 1978-064' (approval probably based on fake data), 'IMA 1977-006' (whelanite, published 2012) and 'IMA 1968-003' (discredited, IMA 2008-B). 'IMA 1995-025' was listed as well, a mistake (natroglaucocerinite, published 1995).[1]
    • Some minerals were published without being submitted to IMA approval.
      • Imogolite, 09.ED.20, was first published 1962.[17][18] Its formal discreditation by the IMA was published 1967, as its description was incomplete.[19] The IMA referred it to the AIPEA (Association Internationale Pour l'Étude des Argiles) for advice and it was approved by the AIPEA (Nomenclature Committee) at its Tokyo meeting (1970).[20][21] Fleischer (1983) described it as a variety of allophane and it was finally redefined and approved by the IMA 1986.[22][23]
      • Amorphous allophane, nanotube-like imogolite (Al2SiO3(OH)4), halloysite-10Å (Al2Si2O5(OH)4·2H2O), halloysite-7Å (Al2Si2O5(OH)4) and gibbsite (Al(OH)3) are thought to be products of tuff weathering.
    • Every year some valid names get discredited.
  • Attention with the amphiboles. Some mineral names got redefined (2012), their chemical formula range changed.[31] For example, aluminotaramite (2006-023, 09.DE.20) is now a synonym of ferro-taramite and sodic-ferri-ferropedrizite (2003 s.p., 09.DE.25) was renamed to ferro-ferri-pedrizite.
  • The data of a mineral on the databases is similar but not equal. For instance:
    • Opal is a valid IMA/CNMNC name but it is a mineraloid (a mixture of cristobalite and/or tridymite and amorphous silica), it has a page on Mindat.org and Webmineral.com but not on the Handbook of Mineralogy.
    • OligoclaseI is an albite variety on Mindat.org and it has pages on the Handbook of Minerals and Webmineral.com, see 'List of minerals (synonyms)' (plagioclase/albite-anorthite series). It is not the only intermediate member of a solid solution series with a page on the Handbook of Mineralogy (Mineral varieties).
    • The Handbook of Mineralogy has pages on clinochrysotile, orthochrysotile and parachrysotile, but not on chrysotile; but they are polytypes of chrysotile, see 'List of minerals (synonyms)'.
    • Mindat.org uses to give the chemical formula of some minerals as a range (between parentheses, if tin dominant then herzenbergite: (Sn,Pb)SnS2; otherwise teallite: (Pb,Sn)SnS2), on the other side the IMA Database of Mineral Properties/ Rruff Project uses to give the ideal chemical formula of the solid solution end member (herzenbergite: SnS).
      • The given chemical names are a compromise for information purposes, being based on the Nickel-Strunz code too. Most of the time the chemical formula on rruff.info was used, sometimes the simpler one on mindat.org. To illustrate it: bartonite, K3Fe10S14 (mindat.org), K6Fe20S26S (rruff.info); bayleyite, Mg2(UO2)(CO3)3·18H2O (mindat.org), Mg2(UO2)(CO3)3(H2O)12·6H2O (rruff.info) and bredigite, Ca7Mg(SiO4)4 (mindat.org), CaCa13Mg2(SiO4)8 (rruff.info).
      • Caution with the chemical formulas of silicates and their "formula masses". Some molecules have a repeating unit, these might be chains, networks, polymers, and so the true molecule might be a multiple of the smallest repeating unit (the unit cell of a crystal is formed by repeating "z" times the chemical formula). Examples: wadsleyite (Mg2SiO4) a sorosilicate and high pressure polymorth of forsterite and ringwoodite; leucophanite (NaCaBeSi2O6F), but it has Nickel-Strunz identification code 09.DH.05 (inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12); clinoenstatite (MgSiO3), but it has Nickel-Strunz identification code 09.DA.10 (inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si2O6); scolecite (CaAl2Si3O10·3H2O), but it has Nickel-Strunz identification code 09.GA.05 (zeolites with T5O10 units – the fibrous zeolites); mogánite (SiO2), but it has Nickel-Strunz identification code 04.DA.20 (oxides with small cations: silica family).
  • Some questionable/ doubtful minerals are not on this list, if there is no "recent" location listed on mindat.org. For example, iodineQ (Y: 1897, I2) and chloromagnesiteQ (Y: 1872, MgCl2) 03.AB.20.[32][33]
  • Some names are not names of minerals anymore, but names of a group of minerals:

See also [edit]

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Further reading [edit]

  • Clark, A. (1993). Hey's Mineral Index (3 ed.). London: Chapman & Hall. p. 852. 
  • Gaines, R.V.; Skinner, H.C.; Foord, E.E.; Mason, B.; Rosenzweig, A. (1997). Dana’s New Mineralogy: The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury (8 ed.). New York: Wiley & Sons. p. 1819. ISBN 978-0-471-19310-4. 
  • Strunz, Hugo; Nickel, Ernest H. (2001). Strunz Mineralogical Tables (9 ed.). Stuttgart: Schweizerbart. p. 869. ISBN 978-3-510-65188-7. 
  • Ferraiolo, J.A. (2003). A Systematic Classification of Minerals. Bowie, US-MD. p. 441. 
  • Back, M.; Mandarino, J.A. (2008). Fleischer’s Glossary of Mineral Species. Tucson, US-AZ: Mineralogical Record Inc. p. 346. 
  • Deer, William Alexander; Howie, R. A.; Zussman, J. Rock-Forming Minerals Series. The Geological Society. 

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ No Webmineral reference
  2. ^ No Webmineral reference
  3. ^ No Handbook of Mineralogy reference
  4. ^ No Webmineral reference

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Missing Minerals". Elements 3: 360. 2007. 
  2. ^ List of minerals
  3. ^ Handbook of Mineralogy
  4. ^ a b "IMA Database of Mineral Properties/ RRUFF Project". Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona. Retrieved 22 February 2012. 
  5. ^ A to Z Listing of Minerals
  6. ^ Whitney, D.L. (2002), "Coexisting andalusite, kyanite, and sillimanite: Sequential formation of three Al2SiO5 polymorphs during progressive metamorphism near the triple point, Sivrihisar, Turkey", American Mineralogist 87 (4): 405–416 
  7. ^ "Minerals approved in 2010". IMA/ CNMNC. Retrieved 10 March 2012. 
  8. ^ Levinson A A (1966). "A system of nomenclature for rare-earth minerals". American Mineralogist 51: 152–158. 
  9. ^ Nickel, E H; Mandarino, J A (1987). "Procedures involving the IMA Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names and guidelines on mineral nomenclature". American Mineralogist 72: 1031–1042. 
  10. ^ Burke E A J (2008). "Tidying up mineral names: an IMA-CNMNC scheme for suffixes, hyphens and diacritical marks". The Mineralogical Record 39: 131–135. 
  11. ^ Armbruster, Thomas (2002). "Revised nomenclature of högbomite, nigerite, and taafeite minerals". European Journal of Mineralogy 14: 389–395. doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2002/0014-0389. 
  12. ^ Bindi, L; Evain M, Spry P G, Menchetti S (2007). "The pearceite-polybasite group of minerals: crystal chemistry and new nomenclature rules". American Mineralogist 92: 918–925. 
  13. ^ Darrell J. Henry, Milan Novák, Frank C. Hawthorne, Andreas Ertl, Barbara L. Dutrow, Pavel Uher, and Federico Pezzotta (2011). "Nomenclature of the tourmaline-supergroup minerals". American Mineralogist 96: 895–913. doi:10.2138/am.2011.3636. 
  14. ^ Tidying up names (IMA-CNMNC)
  15. ^ Frédéric Hatert, Stuart J. Mills, Marco Pasero and Peter A. Williams (2013). "CNMNC guidelines for the use of suffixes and prefixes in mineral nomenclature, and for the preservation of historical names". European Journal of Mineralogy 25: 113–115. 
  16. ^ Pasero M, Kampf A R, Ferraris C, Pekov I V, Rakovan J R, White T J (2010). "Nomenclature of the apatite supergroup minerals". European Journal of Mineralogy 22: 163–179. doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2010/0022-2022. 
  17. ^ Yoshinaga, N.; Aomine, S. (1962). "Allophane in some Ando soils". Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 8 (2): 6–13. 
  18. ^ Yoshinaga, N.; Aomine, S. (1962). "Allophane in some Ando soils". Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 8 (3): 22–29. 
  19. ^ Hey, M.H. (1967). "International Mineralogical Association: Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names". Mineralogical Magazine 36: 133. 
  20. ^ Wada, Koji; Yoshinaga, Naganori (January–February 1969). "The structure of "Imogolite"". The American Mineralogist 54: 50–71. Retrieved 13 March 2012. 
  21. ^ "Summary of national and international recommendations on clay mineral nomenclature: Clays and Clay Minerals". Clays and Clay Minerals 19: 131. 1971. 
  22. ^ Fleischer, M. (1983). Glossary of Mineral Species. Tucson, AZ: Mineralogical Record. 
  23. ^ Bayliss, P. (1987). "Mineralogical notes: mineral nomenclature: imogolite". Mineralogical Magazine 51: 327. 
  24. ^ Mindat.org - Schapbachite
  25. ^ Hey, M H (1982). "International Mineralogical Association: Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names". Mineralogical Magazine 46: 513–514. 
  26. ^ Walenta K, Bernhardt H J, Theye T (2004). "Cubic AgBiS2 (schapbachite) from the Silberbrünnle mine near Gengenbach in the Central Black Forest, Germany". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte 2004: 425–432. 
  27. ^ Mindat.org - Tohdite
  28. ^ Giovanoli R, Feitknecht W, Fischer F (1971). "Über oxidhydroxide des vierwertigen mangans mit schichtengitter. 3. Mitteilung: reduktion von mangan (III) - manganat (IV) mit zimtalkohol". Helvetica Chimica Acta 54: 1112–1124. 
  29. ^ Roger G. Burns, Virginia Mee Burns and Harlan W. Stockman (1983). "A review of the todorokite-buserite problem: implications to the mineralogy of marine manganese nodules". American Mineralogist 68: 972. 
  30. ^ "Buserite". Mindat.org. 
  31. ^ Frank C. Hawthorne, Roberta Oberti, George E. Harlow, Walter V. Maresch, Robert F. Martin, John C. Schumacher, Mark D. Welch (2012). "Nomenclature of the amphibole supergroup". American Mineralogist 97: 2031–2048. 
  32. ^ Mindat.org - Iodine
  33. ^ Mindat.org - Chloromagnesite
  34. ^ Mindat.org - Biotite
  35. ^ Handbookofmineralogy - Biotite
  36. ^ Rieder, Milan, Cavazzini, Giancarlo, D'yakonov, Yurii S., Frank-Kamenetskii, Viktor A. (1998). "Nomenclature of the micas (IMA/CNMMN Mica Group Subcommittee Report)". Canadian Mineralogist 36: 905–912. 
  37. ^ Mindat.org - Chabazite
  38. ^ Handbookofmineralogy - Chabazite
  39. ^ Mindat.org - Dachiardite
  40. ^ Webmineral - Dachiardite
  41. ^ Mindat.org - Heulandite
  42. ^ Handbookofmineralogy - Heulandite
  43. ^ Mindat.org - Pyrochlore
  44. ^ Webmineral - Pyrochlore
  45. ^ Handbookofmineralogy - Pyrochlore
  46. ^ Mindat.org - Roméite
  47. ^ Webmineral - Roméite
  48. ^ Handbookofmineralogy - Roméite
  49. ^ Mindat.org - Betafite
  50. ^ Webmineral - Betafite
  51. ^ Handbookofmineraology - Betafite
  52. ^ Mindat.org - Microlite group
  53. ^ Mindat.org - Elsmoreite group
  • Web: rruff.info/ima/, 'IMA database of mineral properties' switchboard:
    • 'Not an IMA approved mineral' tag – E.g. buserite
    • 'Discredited' mineral tag – E.g. bindheimite
    • 'Pending publication' tag – E.g. drobecite (IMA 2002-034)
    • 'Questionable mineral species' tag – E.g. shubnikovite

External links [edit]

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