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A silicate mineral comes from silicates, the most dominant mineral class which accounts for over 90 percent of Earth's crust. Silicates form through the combination of oxygen and silicon, and more than 800 species of silicate minerals have been identified. Silicates include feldspars, quartz, olivine, and more. Yet, to identify a mineral that is not a silicate mineral we must identify the nonsilicate class, which encompass the other mineral classes that are far less abundant than the silicates. They are very important economically and they can be further categorized into carbonates, halides, oxides, sulfides, sulfates, and native elements. Minerals of each of these sub-classes represent minerals that are not a silicate mineral; thus, there are numerous answers to this question. Calcite is not a silicate mineral because it is a carbonate, halite is not because it is a halide, galena is not because it is a sulfide, gypsum is not because it is a sulfate, and gold is not because it is a native element.
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Is jasper a silicate mineral or a non-silicate mineral?
Jasper is a silicate mineral. It belongs to the quartz group of minerals and is composed primarily of silicon dioxide, which is a common component of silicate minerals.
Is pyrite a silicate or non silicate mineral?
Pyrite is a non-silicate mineral. It is a sulfide mineral composed of iron and sulfur, not containing silicon and oxygen as found in silicate minerals.
Is hematite a silicate mineral?
No, hematite is not a silicate mineral. It is an oxide mineral composed primarily of iron oxide. Silicate minerals are composed of silicon and oxygen atoms.
Is malachite a silicate or a non silicate mineral?
Malachite is a non-silicate mineral. It is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral that forms in the oxidation zones of copper ore bodies.
Is emerald silicate?
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, which is a silicate mineral. Silicate minerals are composed of silicon atoms surrounded by oxygen atoms. Therefore, emerald can be classified as a silicate mineral due to its composition.
