Mineral symbols (text abbreviations) are used to abbreviate mineral groups, subgroups, and species, just as lettered symbols are used for the chemical elements.
The first set of commonly used mineral symbols was published in 1983 and covered the common rock-forming minerals using 192 two- or three-lettered symbols. [1] These type of symbols are referred to as Kretz symbols. More extensive lists were subsequently made available in the form of publications [2] [3] or posted on journal webpages. [4]
A comprehensive list of more than 5,700 IMA-CNMNC approved symbols (referred to as IMA symbols) compiled by L.N. Warr was published in volume 85 (issue 3) of the Mineralogical Magazine (2021). [5] These symbols are listed alphabetically in the tables below. The approved listings are compatible with the system used to symbolize the elements, 30 of which occur as minerals. [6]
Mineral symbols are most commonly represented by three-lettered text symbols, although one-, two- and four-lettered symbols also exist. Four methods of nomenclature are used: [3] [5]
New minerals approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA-CNMNC) are allocated unique symbols consistent with the main listing. New symbols are announced in the newsletters of the IMA-CNMNC. An updated "mineral symbol picker" list [7] is also available for checking on the availability of symbols prior to submission for approval.
Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Qandilite | Qnd | Qingheiite | Qin | Quadridavyne | Qdv | Quenstedtite | Qst |
Qaqarssukite-(Ce) | Qq-Ce | Qingheiite-(Fe2+) | Qin-Fe2+ | Quadruphite | Qua | Quetzalcoatlite | Qzl |
Qatranaite | Qat | Qingsongite | Qsg | Quartz | Qz | Quijarroite | Qui |
Qeltite | Qlt | Qitianlingite | Qit | Queitite | Que | Quintinite | Qtn |
Qilianshanite | Qil | Quadratite | Qd | Quenselite | Qns | Qusongite | Qus |
Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Uakitite | Uak | Ulvöspinel | Uspl | Uralolite | Url | Uranopolycrase | Uplc | Urvantsevite | Urv | Uytenbogaardtite | Uyt |
Uchucchacuaite | Uch | Umangite | Um | Uramarsite | Uaa | Uranosilite | Usi | Ushkovite | Ukv | Uzonite | Uzn |
Udinaite | Udn | Umbite | Umb | Uramphite | Uap | Uranospathite | Ush | Usovite | Usv | ||
Uduminelite | Udm | Umbozerite | Ubz | Urancalcarite | Uca | Uranosphaerite | Us | Ussingite | Usg | ||
Uedaite-(Ce) | Ued-Ce | Umbrianite | Ubn | Uraninite | Urn | Uranospinite | Usp | Ustarasite | Utr | ||
Uklonskovite | Ukl | Umohoite | Umo | Uranocircite-II | Urc-II | Uranotungstite | Utgs | Usturite | Ust | ||
Ulexite | Ulx | Ungavaite | Ugv | Uranoclite | Uro | Urea | Ur | Utahite | Uta | ||
Ulfanderssonite-(Ce) | Ulf-Ce | Ungemachite | Ugm | Uranophane-α | Urp-α | Uricite | Uri | Uvanite | Uvn | ||
Ullmannite | Ull | Upalite | Upa | Uranophane-β | Urp-β | Uroxite | Urx | Uvarovite | Uv | ||
Ulrichite | Ulr | Uralborite | Ubo | Uranopilite | Up | Urusovite | Uusv | Uvite | Uvt |
Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xanthiosite | Xth | Xenotime-(Yb) | Xtm-Yb | Ximengite | Xim | Xonotlite | Xon |
Xanthoconite | Xcn | Xiangjiangite | Xjg | Xingzhongite | Xin | Xuite | Xu |
Xanthoxenite | Xox | Xieite | Xi | Xitieshanite | Xit | ||
Xenophyllite | Xp | Xifengite | Xif | Xocolatlite | Xoc | ||
Xenotime-(Y) | Xtm-Y | Xilingolite | Xil | Xocomecatlite | Xco |
Name | Symbol | Name | Symbol |
---|---|---|---|
Yafsoanite | Yaf | Yoderite | Yod |
Yagiite | Yag | Yofortierite | Yof |
Yakhontovite | Ykh | Yoshimuraite | Ysh |
Yakovenchukite-(Y) | Yak-Y | Yoshiokaite | Yos |
Yakubovichite | Ybv | Yttriaite-(Y) | Yt-Y |
Yancowinnaite | Ycw | Yttrialite-(Y) | Ytt-Y |
Yangite | Ygi | Yttrocolumbite-(Y) | Yclb-Y |
Yangzhumingite | Yzh | Yttrocrasite-(Y) | Ycr-Y |
Yanomamite | Yan | Yttrotantalite-(Y) | Yttl-Y |
Yarlongite | Ylg | Yttrotungstite-(Ce) | Ytgs-Ce |
Yaroshevskite | Yro | Yttrotungstite-(Y) | Ytgs-Y |
Yaroslavite | Ysl | Yuanfuliite | Yfl |
Yarrowite | Yar | Yuanjiangite | Yjg |
Yarzhemskiite | Yzm | Yugawaralite | Yug |
Yavapaiite | Yav | Yukonite | Yuk |
Yazganite | Yaz | Yuksporite | Yks |
Yeatmanite | Ytm | Yurgensonite | Ygs |
Yecoraite | Yec | Yurmarinite | Ymr |
Yedlinite | Yed | Yushkinite | Yus |
Ye'elimite | Ye | Yusupovite | Ypv |
Yegorovite | Yeg | Yuzuxiangite | Yuz |
Yeomanite | Yeo | Yvonite | Yv |
Yimengite | Yim | ||
Yingjiangite | Yin | ||
Yixunite | Yix |
Blödite or bloedite is a hydrated sodium magnesium sulfate mineral with the formula Na2Mg(SO4)2·4H2O. The mineral is clear to yellow in color often darkened by inclusions and forms monoclinic crystals.
Allanite (also called orthite) is a sorosilicate group of minerals within the broader epidote group that contain a significant amount of rare-earth elements. The mineral occurs mainly in metamorphosed clay-rich sediments and felsic igneous rocks. It has the general formula A2M3Si3O12[OH], where the A sites can contain large cations such as Ca2+, Sr2+, and rare-earth elements, and the M sites admit Al3+, Fe3+, Mn3+, Fe2+, or Mg2+ among others. However, a large amount of additional elements, including Th, U, Be, Zr, P, Ba, Cr and others may be present in the mineral. The International Mineralogical Association lists four minerals in the allanite group, each recognized as a unique mineral: allanite-(Ce), allanite-(La), allanite-(Nd), and allanite-(Y), depending on the dominant rare earth present: cerium, lanthanum, neodymium or yttrium.
Kalinite is a mineral composed of hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate. It is a fibrous monoclinic alum, distinct from isometric potassium alum, named in 1868. Its name comes from kalium (derived from Arabic: القَلْيَه al-qalyah "plant ashes", which is the Latin name for potassium, hence its chemical symbol, "K".
Domeykite is a copper arsenide mineral, Cu3As. It crystallizes in the isometric system, although crystals are very rare. It typically forms as irregular masses or botryoidal forms. It is an opaque, white to gray (weathers brassy) metallic mineral with a Mohs hardness of 3 to 3.5 and a specific gravity of 7.2 to 8.1.
Segelerite is a complex phosphate mineral with formula CaMgFe3+OH(PO4)2·H2O. It occurs in pegmatites and forms striking green or chartreuse crystals. It was discovered in 1974 in the Black Hills of South Dakota by an amateur mineralogist from New York, Curt G. Segeler (1901–1989), after whom it is named.
Steacyite is a complex silicate mineral containing thorium and uranium; formula Kvariable(Ca,Na)2(Th,U)Si8O20. It forms small brown or yellow green crystals, often cruciform twinned crystals. It is radioactive. It was discovered at Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec in 1982 and is named after Harold Robert Steacy (1923–2012), mineralogist.
Hawleyite is a rare sulfide mineral in the sphalerite group, dimorphous and easily confused with greenockite. Chemically, it is cadmium sulfide, and occurs as a bright yellow coating on sphalerite or siderite in vugs, deposited by meteoric water.
Quenstedtite is an uncommon iron sulfate mineral with chemical formula Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O. It forms violet or white triclinic crystals. Found in oxidized zones of pyrite-rich orebodies, especially in arid climates. It was first reported in 1888 for an occurrence in Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile and named by G. Linck in 1889 for the German mineralogist F. A. von Quenstedt (1809–1889).
Lorenzenite is a rare sodium titanium silicate mineral with the formula Na2Ti2Si2O9 It is an orthorhombic mineral, variously found as colorless, grey, pinkish, or brown crystals.
Sabatierite (Cu6TlSe4) is a mineral found in the Czech Republic. The composition of the mineral is more likely (Cu4TlSe3) that has been chemically and crystalographically characterized having tetragonal symmetry. It is named for the French mineralogist Germain Sabatier (born 1923).
Vaesite (NiS2) is a mineral found together with cattierite in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is named after Johannes F. Vaes, a Belgian mineralogist. It is part of the pyrite group.
Tienshanite, named for the Tian Shan Range in Mongolia, is a rare borosilicate mineral, though rock-forming in some parts of its original locality at the Dara-i-Pioz Glacier in Tajikistan. Its formula is extremely complex: KNa3(Na,K,[])6(Ca,Y,RE)2Ba6(Mn2+,Fe2+,Zn,Ti)6(Ti,Nb)6Si36B12O114[O5.5(OH,F)3.5]F2.
Aktashite is a rare arsenic sulfosalt mineral with formula Cu6Hg3As4S12. It is a copper mercury-bearing sulfosalt and is the only sulfosalt mineral with essential Cu and Hg yet known. It is of hydrothermal origin. It was published without approval of the IMA-CNMNC, but recognized as valid species by the IMA-CNMNC Sulfosalts Subcommittee (2008).
Aleksite (IMA symbol: Alk) is a rare lead bismuth tellurium sulfosalt mineral with formula PbBi2Te2S2.
Strashimirite is a rare monoclinic mineral containing arsenic, copper, hydrogen, and oxygen. It has the chemical formula Cu8(AsO4)4(OH)4·5(H2O).
The mineral uytenbogaardtite, Ag3AuS2, is a soft, greyish white sulfide mineral, occurring in hydrothermal Au-Ag-quartz veins. It occurs as tiny crystals, visible only with a microscope. It has a metallic luster and a hardness on the Mohs scale of 2 (gypsum).
Daubréeite is a rare bismuth oxohalide mineral with formula BiO(OH,Cl). It is a creamy-white to yellow-brown, soft, earthy clay–like mineral which crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system. It is a member of the matlockite group.
Chibaite is a rare silicate mineral. It is a silica clathrate with formula SiO
2•n(CH
4,C
2H
6,C
3H
8,i-C
4H
10). The mineral is cubic and the silica hosts or traps various hydrocarbon molecules, such as methane, ethane, propane and isobutane.
Billwiseite is a very rare oxide mineral found at the pegmatite commonly referred to as "Stak Nala" located within a few hundred yards from the village of Toghla in the Stak Nala, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It has only been found as a coating on a single crystal of lepidolite. The sole rock containing Billwiseite is kept at the Royal Ontario Museum, catalogue number M5595.
Roymillerite is a solid colorless transparent crystalline mineral. It has a non-trivial crystal structure.