The silicate minerals make up the the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals. They are classified based on the structure of their silicate anion group.

Subclasses:

Nesosilicates

Nesosilicates (or orthosilicates) have SiO₄ tetrahedra that are isolated and connected by interstitial cations.

• Phenacite group
  • Phenacite
  • Willemite
• Olivine group
  • Forsterite
  • Fayalite
• Garnet group
  • Pyrope
  • Almandine
  • Spessartine
  • Grossular
  • Andradite
  • Uvarovite
  • Hydrogrossular
• Zircon group
  • Zircon
  • Thorite
• Al₂SiO₅ group
  • Andalusite
  • Kyanite
  • Sillimanite
  • Dumortierite
  • Topaz
  • Staurolite
• Humite group
• Datolite
• Titanite
• Cloritoid

Sorosilicates

Sorosilicates have isolated double tetrahedra groups with Si₂O₇ or a ratio of 2:7.

• Hemimorphite (calamine)
• Lawsonite
• Ilvaite
• Epidote group
  • Zoisite
  • Clinozoisite
  • Epidote
  • Allanite
• Vesuvianite (idocrase )

Cyclosilicates

Cyclosilicates, ring silicates, have linked tetrahedra with Si_xO_3x or a ratio of 1:3.

• Axinite
• Beryl
• Cordierite
• Tourmaline

Inosilicates

Inosilicates, chain silicates, have interlocking chains of silicate tetrahedra with either SiO₃, 1:3 ratio, for single chains or Si₄O₁₁, 4:11 ratio, for double chains.

Single chain inosilicates:

• Pyroxene group
  • Enstatite - orthoferrosilite series
    • Enstatite
    • Bronzite
    • Hypersthene
    • Clinohypersthene
  • Pigeonite
  • Diopside - hedenbergite series
    • Diopside
    • Hedenbergite
    • Johannsenite
    • Augite
  • Sodium pyroxene series
    • Jadeite
    • Omphacite
    • Acmite (aegirine )
  • Spodumene
• Pyroxenoid group
  • Wollastonite
  • Rhodonite
  • Pectolite

Double chain inosilicates:

• Amphibole group
  • Anthophylite
  • Cumingtonite series
    • Cummingtonite
    • Grunerite
  • Tremolite series
    • Tremolite
    • Actinolite
  • Hornblende
  • Sodium amphibole group
    • Glaucophane
    • Riebeckite
      • Crocidolite - asbestos
    • Arfvedsonite

Phyllosilicates

Phyllosilicates, sheet silicates, form parallel sheets of silicate tetrahedra with Si₂O₅ or a 2:5 ratio.

• Serpentine group
• Kaolinite or clay mineral group
• Talc
• Mica group
• Chlorite group

Tectosilicates

Tectosilicates, framework silicates, have a three dimensional framework of silicate tetrahedra with SiO₂ or a 1:2 ratio. This is the largest group comprising nearly 75% of the crust of the Earth.

• Quartz group
• Feldspar group
• Feldspathoid group
• Scapolite group
• Zeolite group

References and external links

• Hurlbut, Cornelius S., 1966 pr, Dana's Manual of Mineralogy, 17th ed., ISBN 0471032883
• Hurlbut, Cornelius S.; Klein, Cornelis, 1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., ISBN 0471805807
• Mineral gallery
• Minerals.net
• mindat.org mineral database
• Webmineral.com