Photo Gallery: Minerals

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Sulfur Source

Photograph by Kirk Treakle/Alamy

A volcano in Java, Indonesia, produces yellow deposits of sulfur that prove to be easy but dangerous pickings for a man collecting the mineral. Sulfur often combines into sulfides or sulfates. The nonmetallic element heals and destroys: Doctors use sulfur to treat fungal infections, but it is also a component of gunpowder. Sulfuric acid is an important industrial agent.

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Mineral Deposits

Photograph by Thinkstock/Corbis

Mineral deposits add color to the landscape. Minerals have existed since the very beginnings of the Earth, forming as our planet cooled. Many form deep beneath the Earth's surface, but some are found on the surface.

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Azurite

Photograph by Steve Hamblin/Alamy

Azurite crystals from Arizona seem to pulse with color. The mineral azurite—a copper ore—consists of blue basic carbonate. Azurite's brilliant color adds to its popularity in creating semiprecious stones.

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Carlsbad Caverns Minerals

Photograph by Michael Nichols

Mineral deposits in Lechuguilla Cave take on fantastical forms in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. Stalactites of calcite and a small aragonite formation appear as if in a magical backdrop. Calcite and aragonite are the two crystal forms of calcium carbonate, a property of minerals geologists call dimorphism. Their crystal structure sets them apart: calcite forms hexagons and aragonite forms rhombohedrons.

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Gypsum

Photograph by Tom Uhlman/Alamy

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky contains gypsum formations that mimic flowers. The mineral gypsum contains calcium sulfate (calcium, sulfur, oxygen) and water. The gypsum precipitates out of water in the cave, creating these subterranean forms over time.

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Mineral Mining

Photograph by Thinkstock/ Corbis

With geometric precision, a Maryland mining operation works to extract minerals. Mining takes place on the Earth's surface, as seen here, as well as underground. While technology has improved mining technology, there are still human and environmental costs involved.

Mesolite

Photograph by Natural History Museum/Alamy

The needle-like crystals of this mesolite deposit from India give it a dandelion's form. Its crystalline structure formed inside a bubble of volcanic gas as igneous rock cooled. Mesolite's many striking crystal formations make it a popular mineral for collectors.

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Tourmaline Starburst

Photograph by Scott Camazine/Alamy

A starburst or red tourmaline stands out against its white surroundings. Tourmaline is the name for a group of related minerals; red tourmaline also can be called rubellite. Semiprecious gemstones, tourmalines belong to a family of borosilicate minerals. They come in a range of colors from red to black and are found from Madagascar to Maine.

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Fluorite Calcite

Photograph by bildagentur-online.com/th-foto/Alamy

The seeming disorder of calcite highlights the geometric precision of fluorite. Both minerals can be found throughout the world and form coarse-sized crystals. The difference in the crystal structures between these two minerals offers an idea of the diversity of crystalline forms.

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Malachite

Photograph by GC Minerals/Alamy

Malachite from a Zambian mine seems to take the form of rounded peas. Found in deposits of copper ore, malachite gets its name from the Greek word for its leafy green color, which can range from light to dark green. The mineral malachite contains the elements copper, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen.