By Name A list of minerals in alphabetical order By Class Elements, Oxides, Carbonates, etc. Interesting Groupings Gemstones, Birthstones, etc.
Color is also one of the big reasons that attract people to minerals.
Generally speaking, color is not a good property to be used in the identification of minerals. It is usually the first property to confuse a novice collector into making an incorrect identification. Many minerals have different colors and some minerals' colors are identical to other minerals' colors. It is important to understand what causes color in minerals in order to understand this mineral property. Color in minerals is caused by the absorption, or lack of absorption, of various wavelengths of light.