Ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium.

It is similar in
appearance to magnetite, but has a different crystal form and if it is magnetic then it's not as strongly so as magnetite. It will become magnetic when heated. Ilmenite is a common accessory mineral in many igneous rocks and also found as a detrital mineral (in sands). Chemical composition - FeTiO3 Hardness - 5-6 Specific gravity - 4.5-5 Transparency - Opaque Colour - Black Streak - Black Lustre - Metallic Cleavage/fracture - Non-existent / conchoidal Crystal habit/mode of occurrence Tabular (thin and thick tabular crystals with rhombohedral truncations, sometimes formed into rosettes) /massive and granular, as grains in some sands

Hematite (or haematite) is the most important ore mineral of

iron. It is an oxide mineral and is found in a variety of colours, with red, orange and brown occurring when the iron in hematite begins to rust. There are also several forms of hematite, some of which are: kidney ore, a massive, botryoidal (lumpy) or reniform (kidney shaped) form; specularite, a micaceous (flaky) form; oolitic, a sedimentary form composed of small rounded grains; red ochre, a red earthy form. Because of its red colour when powdered, hematite lends itself well to use as a pigment, and it was used by ancient cultures as a colouring for red and brown paint. Large ore bodies of hematite are usually of sedimentary origin, and it is widely distributed insedimentary rocks as a cement. High grade ore bodies can be found in metamorphic rocks as a result of contact metasomatism. Hematite is also as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks. The red colouring of soils all over the planet is due to hematite. Chemical composition - Fe2O3 Hardness - 5-6 Specific gravity - 5.3 Transparency - Opaque Colour - Steel or silver grey to black, reddish to brown in earthy forms Streak - Red to brownish red Lustre - Metallic to earthy Cleavage/fracture - Non-existent / conchoidalto uneven Crystal habit/mode of occurrence Tabular, rarely prismatic / massive, granular, botryoid al(lumpy)

hematite (botryoidal kidney ore)

hematite (specularite)

hematite (oolitic)

Magnetite is a natural magnet, hence its name. This is a distinguishing

characteristic of the mineral. Magnetite is a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks and is also found as a detrital mineral, particularly on the beaches west of Auckland (black sand). Chemical composition Fe3O4 Hardness - 5.5-6.5 Specific gravity - 5.2 Transparency - Opaque Colour - Black Streak - Black Lustre - Metallic Cleavage/fracture Non-existent / conchoidal Crystal habit/mode of occurrence - Prismatic (typically octahedral but rarely rhombododecahedral) / massive, granular Other specimens - Click the thumbnails to enlarge

magnetite

magnetite (showing streak) magnetite

Pyrite, also known as "Fool's Gold" because of

its brassy-yellow metallic colour, is the most common sulphide mineral in rocks of all ages, being found in virtually every geological environment. It is easily distinguishable from gold as it has a lower specific gravity (specific gravity of gold is 15.9-19.3) and it is harder (hardness of gold is 2.5-3). Pyrite is a common component of sedimentary rocks and metamorphosed sediments, is an accessory mineral in many igneous rocks, and forms large bodies in hydrothermal deposits. Chemical composition - FeS2 Hardness - 6-6.5 Specific gravity - 4.9-5.2 Transparency - Opaque Colour - Brassy yellow Streak - Greenish black Lustre - Metallic Cleavage/fracture - Nonexistent / hackly,conchoidal Crystal habit/mode of occurrence - Prismatic (cube, octahedron and pyritohedron [a dodecahedron with pentagonal faces]) / massive,granular

Plagioclase is a member of the feldspar group (like orthoclase) and is

a framework silicate. Plagioclase consists of a solid solution between the albite and anorthite end-members, and together with quartz is the most common of the rock forming minerals. The twinning in plagioclase produces stacks of twin layers that are typically fractions to several millimetres thick. These twinned layers can be seen as striation like grooves on the surface of the crystal and, unlike true striations, these also appear on cleavage surfaces. Plagioclase is found in almost all igneous rocks and most metamorphic rocks, but is less common in sedimentary rocks where it usually weathers to clay minerals or a fine grained variant ofmuscovite (sericite). Chemical composition CaAl2Si2O8 (anorthite), NaAlSi3O8 (albite) Hardness - 6-6.5 Specific gravity - 2.6-2.8 Transparency - Translucent to opaque (rarely transparent) Colour - Usually white, grey or colourless Streak - White Lustre - Vitreous Cleavage/fracture - Perfect in two directions, commonly twinned / hackly, conchoidal Crystal habit/mode of occurrence Prismatic,tabular

Galena is the major ore of lead, and has been mined and worked since
ancient times, e.g. the Romans used lead for weights, coins, vases, plumbing. Galena, a sulphide mineral, contains up to 86% lead, and may contain up to 1% silver. The large volume of galena that is processed for lead produces enough silver as a by-product to also make galena the leading ore of silver. Galena is a natural semiconductor at room temperature. Galena can be found in hydrothermal veins, as irregular masses in limestones, in zones of contact metamorphism, and disseminated in igneous and sedimentary rocks. Chemical composition - PbS Hardness - 2.5 Specific gravity - 7.5 Transparency - Opaque Colour - Lead grey to silver grey Streak - Lead grey Lustre - Metallic (brighter on cleavage surfaces than on crystal faces) Cleavage/fracture - Perfect in 3 directions forming cubes / uneven (rare due to perfect cleavage) Crystal habit/mode of occurrence Prismatic (cube, octahedron) / massive, granular