feldspar

Also known as feldspars, feldspar mineral group, felspar

Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the plagioclase (sodium-calcium) feldspars and the alkali (potassium-sodium) feldspars. Feldspars make up about 60% of the Earth's crust and 41% of the Earth's continental crust by weight.

AI overview

Feldspar is a group of common minerals that contain aluminum and silica along with elements like sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium, with plagioclase and alkali feldspars being the most abundant types. It matters because feldspars make up roughly 60% of Earth's entire crust by weight, making them among the most important rock-forming minerals on the planet.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Mineral.name: Feldspar
Mineral.category: Tectosilicate minerals
Mineral.boxbgcolor: eae6de
Mineral.image: Feldspar diversity.png
Mineral.imagesize: 350px
Mineral.caption: Feldspar minerals. Clockwise from top left: orthoclase, albite, microcline, and an indeterminate plagioclase
Mineral.IMAsymbol: Fsp
Mineral.IMAstatus: Mineral group
Mineral.color: pink, white, gray, brown, blue
Mineral.system: Triclinic or monoclinic
Mineral.cleavage: two or three
Mineral.fracture: along cleavage planes
Mineral.mohs: 6.0–6.5
Mineral.luster: vitreous
Mineral.refractive: 1.518–1.526
Mineral.birefringence: first order
Mineral.pleochroism: none
Mineral.streak: white

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Feldspar-Group-291254.jpg

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Feldspar
Mohs' hardness: 6
IMA Mineral Symbol: Fsp

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~12 min read

Article

17 sections

Contents

Etymology
Compositions
Alkali feldspars
Ammonium feldspar
Barium feldspars
Plagioclase feldspars
Structure
Weathering
Applications
Production
Commercial grades
Extraterrestrial
Gallery
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Feldspars crystallize from magma as both intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks and are also present in many types of metamorphic rock. Rock formed almost entirely of calcic plagioclase feldspar is known as anorthosite. Feldspars are also found in many types of sedimentary rocks.