Quartz

Classica(on:
tectosilicate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

SiO2

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

2.65

Cleavage:

poor/none

Crustal abundance: high

Economic value:

moderate

Plagioclase
NaAlSi3O8 - CaAl2Si2O8

Classica(on:
tectosilicate
Crystal system:
triclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

6 6.5

Specic gravity:

2.6 2.8

Cleavage:

1 perfect, 1 good

Crustal abundance: very high

Economic value:

moderate

Orthoclase
KAlSi3O8

Classica(on:
tectosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

6 6.5

Specic gravity:

2.5 2.6

Cleavage:

1 perfect, 1 good

Crustal abundance: high

Economic value:

moderate

BioPte

K(Fe,Mg)3AlSi3O10(OH)2

Classica(on:
phyllosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

2.5 3

Specic gravity:

2.7 3.3

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

low

Muscovite
KAl3Si3O10(OH)2

Classica(on:
phyllosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

2.5 3

Specic gravity:

2.8 2.9

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

moderate

Hornblende

Ca2(Mg,Fe)4Al2Si7O22(OH)2
Classica(on:
inosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

5 6

Specic gravity:

3.0 3.5

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

trivial

AcPnolite

Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2
Classica(on:
inosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

5 6

Specic gravity:

3.0 3.5

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

low

Glaucophane
Na2(Mg,Fe)3Al2Si8O22(OH)2

Classica(on:
inosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

3.0 3.2

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

trivial

Olivine
(Mg,Fe)2SiO4

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
mantle

Hardness:

6.5 7

Specic gravity:

3.2 4.4

Cleavage:

2 poor

Crustal abundance: high

Economic value:

low

Garnet

(Fe,Mg,Ca,Mn)3(Al,Fe)2Si3O12

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
mantle

Hardness:

6 7.5

Specic gravity:

3.5 4.3

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

moderate

Titanite
CaTiSiO5

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

5 5.5

Specic gravity:

3.4 3.6

Cleavage:

3 good

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

low

Zircon
ZrSiO4

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
tetragonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

7.5

Specic gravity:

4.6 4.7

Cleavage:

2 poor

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Augite

Ca(Mg,Fe)Si2O6
Classica(on:
inosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

5.5 6.5

Specic gravity:

3.2 3.6

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: high

Economic value:

trivial

Orthopyroxene
(Mg,Fe)2Si2O6

Classica(on:
inosilicate
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
mantle

Hardness:

5 6

Specic gravity:

3.2 3.9

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: high

Economic value:

trivial

Chlorite

(Mg,Fe)5Al2Si3O10(OH)8
Classica(on:
phyllosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

2 3

Specic gravity:

2.6 3.3

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

low

AnPgorite
(Mg,Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4

Classica(on:
phyllosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic
mantle

Hardness:

3.5 4

Specic gravity:

2.6

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

low

Talc

Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Classica(on:
phyllosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

2.6 2.8

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

moderate

Kaolinite
Al2Si2O5(OH)4

Classica(on:
phyllosilicate
Crystal system:
triclinic
Occurrence:
sedimentary

Hardness:

1.5 2.5

Specic gravity:

2.6 2.7

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

high

Andalusite
Al2SiO5

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

6.5 7

Specic gravity:

3.15

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

moderate

Kyanite
Al2SiO5

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
triclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

5.5 7

Specic gravity:

3.5 3.7

Cleavage:

1 perfect, 1 good

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Sillimanite
Al2SiO5

Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

6.5 7.5

Specic gravity:

3.25

Cleavage:

1 perfect, 1 good

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

low

Staurolite

(Fe,Mg)2Al9Si4O22(OH)2
Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

3.7 3.8

Cleavage:

1 good

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

low

Epidote

Ca2(Al,Fe)3Si3O12(OH)
Classica(on:
sorosilicate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

6 6.5

Specic gravity:

3.2 3.5

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

trivial

Tourmaline

Na(Mg,Fe)3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)4
Classica(on:
cyclosilicate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

7 7.5

Specic gravity:

3.0 3.2

Cleavage:

2 poor

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Topaz

Al2SiO4(F,OH)2
Classica(on:
nesosilicate
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

3.5 3.6

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: ultratrace

Economic value:

low

Beryl

Be3Al2Si6O18
Classica(on:
cyclosilicate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

7.5 8

Specic gravity:

2.6 2.9

Cleavage:

1 poor

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Pyrite
FeS2

Classica(on:
sulde
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

6 6.5

Specic gravity:

5.0

Cleavage:

2 poor

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

moderate

PyrrhoPte
Fe1-xS

Classica(on:
sulde
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

3.5 4.5

Specic gravity:

4.6

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

moderate

Chalcopyrite
CuFeS2

Classica(on:
sulde
Crystal system:
tetragonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

3.5 4

Specic gravity:

4.1 4.3

Cleavage:

2 poor

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

very high

Galena
PbS

Classica(on:
sulde
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

2.5

Specic gravity:

7.5 7.6

Cleavage:

3 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

high

Sphalerite
(Zn,Fe)S

Classica(on:
sulde
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

3.5 4

Specic gravity:

3.9 4.1

Cleavage:

6 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

high

Molybdenite
MoS2

Classica(on:
sulde
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic

Hardness:

1 1.5

Specic gravity:

4.7

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

high

Gold
Au

Classica(on:
na6ve element
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

2.5 3

Specic gravity:

19.3

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: ultratrace

Economic value:

Im rich!

Diamond
Classica(on:
na6ve element
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

10

Specic gravity:

3.5

Cleavage:

4 perfect

Crustal abundance: ultratrace

Economic value:

Im rich!

Graphite
C

Classica(on:
na6ve element
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

1 2

Specic gravity:

2.2

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Halite
NaCl

Classica(on:
halide
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
sedimentary

Hardness:

2.5

Specic gravity:

2.2

Cleavage:

3 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Fluorite
CaF2

Classica(on:
halide
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
metamorphic

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

3.2

Cleavage:

4 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Gypsum
CaSO4(H2O)2

Classica(on:
sulfate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

2.3

Cleavage:

1 perfect, 2 good

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

high

Barite
BaSO4

Classica(on:
sulfate
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

3 3.5

Specic gravity:

4.5

Cleavage:

2 perfect, 1 good

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

ApaPte

Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl)

Classica(on:

phosphate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

3.1 3.2

Cleavage:

2 poor

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

high

Monazite
(La,Ce,Nd)PO4

Classica(on:

phosphate
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

5.0 5.3

Cleavage:

1 good, 1 poor

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Calcite
CaCO3

Classica(on:

carbonate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

2.7

Cleavage:

3 perfect

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

high

Dolomite
CaMg(CO3)2

Classica(on:

carbonate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

3.5 4

Specic gravity:

2.9

Cleavage:

3 perfect

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

low

Magnesite
MgCO3

Classica(on:

carbonate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

3.0

Cleavage:

3 perfect

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

moderate

Siderite
FeCO3

Classica(on:

carbonate
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

4 4.5

Specic gravity:

4.0

Cleavage:

3 perfect

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

MagnePte
Fe3O4

Classica(on:

oxide (spinel)
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

5.5 6

Specic gravity:

5.2

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

very high

HemaPte
Fe2O3

Classica(on:

oxide
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

5 6

Specic gravity:

5.3

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

high

Chromite
(Fe,Mg)Cr2O4

Classica(on:
oxide (spinel)
Crystal system:
isometric
Occurrence:
igneous
sedimentary

Hardness:

5.5

Specic gravity:

4.5 5.1

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

high

Ilmenite
TiFeO3

Classica(on:

oxide
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

5 6

Specic gravity:

4.7 4.8

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

moderate

RuPle
TiO2

Classica(on:
oxide
Crystal system:
tetragonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

6 6.5

Specic gravity:

4.3

Cleavage:

2 good

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

high

Corundum
Al2O3

Classica(on:
oxide
Crystal system:
hexagonal
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

Specic gravity:

4.0

Cleavage:

none

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

moderate

Cassiterite
SnO2

Classica(on:

oxide
Crystal system:
tetragonal
Occurrence:
igneous
metamorphic
sedimentary

Hardness:

6 7

Specic gravity:

6.9 7.1

Cleavage:

1 good, 1 poor

Crustal abundance: trace

Economic value:

high

Gibbsite
Al(OH)3

Classica(on:
hydroxide
Crystal system:
monoclinic
Occurrence:
metamorphic
sedimentary


Hardness:

2.5 3.5

Specic gravity:

2.4

Cleavage:

1 perfect

Crustal abundance: low

Economic value:

high

Goethite
FeO(OH)

Classica(on:
hydroxide
Crystal system:
orthorhombic
Occurrence:
sedimentary

Hardness:

5 5.5

Specic gravity:

4.3

Cleavage:

1 perfect, 1 good

Crustal abundance: moderate

Economic value:

moderate

Change trumps category to

Economic value

Change trumps category to

Crustal abundance

Change trumps category to

Hardness

Change trumps category to

Cleavage

Change trumps category to

Specic gravity, or
throw MagnePte

Change to trumps category of

your choice

About Mineral Supertrumps

Mineral Supertrumps is a game designed to help players

learn about the proper6es and uses of common rock-
forming minerals. The pack consists of 54 mineral cards,
and 6 supertrump cards. Each mineral card includes
informa6on about the mineral such as the generic chemical
formula, the classica6on, crystal system, the geological
environment where the mineral is commonly found or
formed (igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, or the
mantle), as well as informa6on in the ve playing
categories (or trumps) of Hardness, Specic Gravity,
Cleavage, Crustal Abundance, and Economic Value. The rst
three trump categories relate to dis6nct physical proper6es
of the mineral, while last two categories rate the
importance of the mineral in terms of abundance in the
Earths crust (con6nental and oceanic) and value to modern
socie6es.

Number of players: 3 to 5

ObjecPve: To be the rst player to lose all of your cards

How
to play:

1. A dealer (randomly chosen) shues the cards and deals
each player 8 cards. Each player can look at their cards, but
should not show them to other players. The remaining card
pack is placed face down on the table.

2. The player to the leM of the dealer goes rst by placing a

mineral card on the table. The player must state the
mineral name, one of the ve trump categories (i.e., either
Hardness, Specic Gravity, Cleavage, Crustal Abundance, or
Economic Value), and the top value of that category. For
example, a player placing the Glaucophane card may state
Glaucophane, Specic Gravity, 3.2

3. The player next to the leM takes the next turn. This
player must play a mineral card that has a higher value in
the trump category than the card played by the previous
player. For the example of the Glaucophane card above,
the player must place a card that has a value for specic
gravity above 3.2. The player must state the mineral name
and value of the category when playing their card. The
game con6nues with the next player to the leM, and so on.

4. If a player does not have any mineral cards that are of
higher value for the specic trump category being played,
then the player must pass and pick up one card from the
card pack on the table. The player then cannot play again
un6l all but one player has passed, or un6l another player
throws a supertrump card to change the trump category,
as described below. A player is allowed to pass even if they
s6ll hold cards that could be played.

5. If the player has a supertrump card (The Mineralogist,
The Geologist, The Geophysicist, The Petrologist, The Miner,
The Gemmologist) they may play this card at any of their
turns. By placing a supertrump card, the player changes the
trump category according to the instruc6ons on the
supertrump card. At this stage, any player who had passed
on the previous round is now able to play again. If a player
throws The Geophysicist card together with the Magne(te
card, then that player wins the round.

6. The game con6nues with players taking turns to play
cards un6l all but one player has passed. The last player
then gets to lead out the next round and chooses the
trump category to be played.

7. The winner of the game is the rst player to lose all of
their cards. The game con6nues un6l all but one player
(i.e., the loser) has lost their cards.

InformaPon on trump categories:

Hardness: relates to Mohs hardness scale of minerals from

1 to 10. Where a range of values is presented, the highest
value should be used.

Specic Gravity: in grams per cubic cm. Where a range of

values is presented, the highest value should be used.

Cleavage: refers to the number of cleavage planes and how

well the planes are typically expressed in the crystal. For
example, 1 perfect, 2 poor means the mineral has 1
perfect cleavage plane, and 2 poor cleavage planes. The
order of ranking from lowest to highest is:
none poor/none 1 poor 2 poor 1 good 1 good,
1 poor 2 good 3 good 1 perfect 1 perfect, 1 good
1 perfect, 2 good 2 perfect, 1 good 3 perfect 4
perfect 6 perfect.

Crustal abundance: is ranked from lowest to highest as:
ultratrace trace low moderate high very high.

Economic value: is ranked from lowest to highest as:
trivial low moderate high very high Im rich!

Strategies:
Like many card games, there are strategies that can
increase the chance of winning. Obviously the more you
can remember about the mineral cards the be]er,
par6cularly if you can remember which cards have been
played already. The cards with high values in various trump
categories and Supertrump cards should be used to try and
win a hand, so use these wisely. When leading out a new
round try to begin with a card that tends to have low values
for many categories; these cards are dicult to get rid of
otherwise.

The cards may be used in other way to help learn aspects of

mineralogy. They can be used as ash cards for rote
learning, or to play a mineralogy version of Celebrity Head.

Sources of informaPon:
The game was devised and designed by Carl Spandler, and
is in part based on the Top Trumps card game series.
Mineral informa6on was collated from the following
sources:

Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A., and Zussman, J. (1992). An

introduc6on to the rock-forming minerals (second ed.).
Longman Group Ltd, Essex.
Johnsen, O., (2007). Minerals of the world. Princeton Univ.
Press, New Jersey.
Nesse, W.D. (2004). Introduc6on to op6cal mineralogy
(third ed.). Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Mindat.org website (h]p://www.mindat.org).
Webminerals website (h]p://www.webmineral.com).

Mineral images were obtained from open-source internet

sites including:

h]p://www.sandatlas.org; h]p://www.mindat.org;
h]p://www.amazonsupply.com; h]p://www.minerals.net

For more informaPon, contact:
Carl Spandler
Economic Geology Research Unit
James Cook University,
Townsville, 4811, AUSTRALIA
Ph: 617 47816911
email: carl.spandler@ jcu.edu.au