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Introduction

According to the Dana classification system there are a total of 78 mineral classes. 27 of them
are Silicates which constitute ~92% of the earth’s crust. Nearly all Silicates have structures
based on the [SiO4]4- tetrahedron.

Structures and Varieties of Silicates

1) Nesosilicates/Orthosilicates (single tetrahedrons)

This includes all silicates where the tetrahedrons are not bonded to other tetrahedrons but, are
connected by cations. Examples are given below.

 The Garnet Group.
o Almandine (Iron Aluminum Silicate)
o Grossular (Calcium Aluminum Silicate)
o Pyrope (Magnesium Aluminum Silicate)
 Zircon (Zirconium Silicate)

 Topaz (Aluminum Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)

2) Sorosilicates (double tetrahedrons)

Sorosilicates have two silicate tetrahedrons that are linked by one oxygen ion and thus the
basic chemical unit is the anion group (Si2O7)6- which is made by the dehydration of two
silicic acid molecules. It forms an unusual hourglass-like shape. Examples are given below.

 The Epidote group.

o Allanite (Yttrium Cerium Calcium Aluminum Iron Silicate Hydroxide)

o Epidote (Calcium Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

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 Danburite (Calcium Boro-Silicate)

 Bertrandite (Beryllium Silicate Hydroxide)

3) Inosilicates (single and double chains)

This contains two groups: the single chain (linear chain) and double chain silicates. In
the single chain group the tetrahedrons share two oxygens with two other tetrahedrons and
form a seemingly endless chain. Pyroxenes are included in this group. Examples are given
below.

A linear chain Silicate anion

 The Pyroxene Group:

o Aegirine (Sodium Iron Silicate)

o Enstatite (Magnesium Silicate)

o Hedenbergite (Calcium Iron Silicate)

o Spodumene (Lithium Aluminum Silicate)

 Lorenzenite (Sodium Titanium Silicate)

 Neptunite (Potassium Sodium Lithium Iron Manganese Titanium Silicate)

 Serandite (Sodium Manganese Calcium Silicate Hydroxide)

In the double chain group, two single chains lie side by side so that all the right sided
tetrahedrons of the left chain are linked by oxygen to the left sided tetrahedrons of the right
chain. Amphiboles are included in this group. Examples are below.

A double chain
Silicate anion
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 The Amphibole Group:

o Anthophyllite (Magnesium Iron Silicate Hydroxide)

o Edenite (Sodium Calcium Magnesium Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

o Tremolite (Calcium Magnesium Iron Silicate Hydroxide)

 Astrophyllite (Potassium Iron Titanium Silicate Hydroxide)

4) Cyclosilicates (rings)

These silicates form chains such as in the Inosilicates but, these chains link back around on
themselves to form rings.

Cyclosilicate anion
 The Tourmaline Group:

o Elbaite (Sodium Lithium Aluminum Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)

o Schorl (Sodium Iron Aluminum Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)

 Axinite (Calcium Magnesium Iron Manganese Aluminum Borosilicate Hydroxide)

 Beryl (Berylium Aluminum Silicate)

5) Phyllosilicates (sheets)

In this, rings of tetrahedrons are linked by shared oxygens to other rings in a two dimensional
plane that produces a sheet-like structure.

A sheet Silicate
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 The Clay Group:

o The Chlorite Group:

 Chlorite (Iron Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

 Clinochlore (Iron Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

 Cookeite (Lithium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

o Kaolinite (Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

o Pyrophyllite (Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)

o Talc (Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide)

 The Mica Group:

o Biotite (Potassium Iron Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)

o Lepidolite (Potassium Lithium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)

 Serpentine (Iron Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide)

 Cavansite (Hydrated Calcium Vanadium Silicate)

 Chrysocolla (Hydrated Copper Aluminum Hydrogen Silicate Hydroxide)

6) Tectosilicates (frameworks)

Infinite 3-dimensional network of (SiO4)4- or (Si3Al)O81- to (Si2Al2)O82- building

blocks. All oxygen atoms are shared between two SiO44- tetrahedrons.

A tetrahedral network
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 The Feldspar Group:

o Anorthite (Calcium Aluminum Silicate)

o Oligoclase (Sodium Calcium Silicate)

o Orthoclase (Potassium Aluminum Silicate)

o Sanidine (Potassium Aluminum Silicate)

 The Feldspathoid Group:

o Cancrinite (Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate Carbonate)

o Sodalite (Sodium Aluminum Silicate Chloride)

 The Quartz Group:

o Cristobalite (Silicon Dioxide)

o Quartz (Silicon Dioxide)

 The Zeolite Group:

o Mesolite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)

o Phillipsite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)

o Stellerite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicate)

o Thomsonite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate)

Conclusion

There are 6 major silicate groups: Tectosilicates(Framework), Phyllosilicates(Sheet),

Inosilicates(Chain), Cyclosilicates(Ring), Sorosilicates and Nesosilicates.

References

Books
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F. Albert Cotton and Geoffrey Wilkinson; Advanced Inorganic Chemistry; 3rd Edition;
Interscience Publishers, pp. 321-323.

Dr. S. Liyanage; S saha P Gonuwala Rasayanaya; Dinuka Graphic Network, pp. 68-74.

Web Sites

jaeger.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au

webmineral.com

www.science.smith.edu

www.geo.umass.edu/courses/geo311/systematic%20min.pdf

www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/class.htm