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List L - Minerals
List L-1 Minerals - alphabetical list
List L-2 Minerals - hierarchical list
General notes
These thesaurus lists, lists A-R, are used by GeoRef indexers for selecting index terms and by searchers for additional information not necessarily found in individual term records in the body of the Thesaurus. In most cases, an hierarchical list is given. In some cases, an alphabetical or other list is provided.
The notes under Searching attempt to guide the searcher in the use of the list. Searchers might also read the notes on Indexing for further clues but should be aware that these notes reflect current practice which in some cases differs from past practice. Further notes on specific terms are in the body of the Thesaurus and additional notes on searching are in the GeoRef Thesaurus, 11th edition Introduction section on searching beginning on page x. Information specific to searching and the individual list topics is included, e.g., a section on minerals begins on page xi.
Under Indexing the current indexing practice is given. These notes should be read along with the instructions under the individual terms in the body of the Thesaurus.
Minerals
The hierarchical list of minerals shows the chemical classification used for the non-silicates (Hey's Mineral Index) and the structural classification (Strunz Mineralogical Tables) used for the silicates. The alphabetical list shows the specific names from the Thesaurus body and their corresponding group names. Autoposting is indicated.
The term new minerals is used with a new mineral species. The term minerals is used very generally rather than extensively. It is not included in mineral hierarchies. Minerals as a chemical group name with the form "iron minerals" are used in a very general sense - the name is applied if no other group name is available to discuss them. This style of group naming is usually used outside the field of mineralogy.
Clay mineralogy as a discipline is treated separately.
See List C-1 for minerals being discussed as commodities.
Searching
To search for a particular mineral species, the common name of that species must be used keeping in mind possible varieties
(e.g., agate (chalcedony, quartz), emerald (beryl), or sapphire (corundum)) and that the American f is used for the British ph.
Some mineral species may not be treated from a mineralogical point of view. It is advisable therefore to search for "mineralogic" papers using the mineral species together with the general term mineralogy or the mineralogy category, see List A.
To search for a group of minerals, search for the group name. For more information see specific minerals in the main body of the Thesaurus.
For papers dealing with gemological aspects, one should search for a mineral in combination with gems. For mineral collecting search a mineral in combination with (collecting OR popular geology).
A search of the term clay mineralogy will retrieve papers dealing with all aspects of clay minerals: mineralogy, structure, composition, occurrence as constituents of rocks, etc.
Indexing
Use a specific mineral name from the alphabetical list whenever applicable. For new minerals, index the name and the term new minerals with a mineral group if known. If the chemical formula is available for a new mineral, it may be given in a note.
Any name valid according to the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) may be indexed, however, special characters in the name are generally left out. Prefixes with chemical names may be valid, e.g. ferri-holmquistite. See IMA List of Minerals at IMA-Mineralogy.