The subject of mineral names is almost as interesting as the study of the chemical and physical properties of the minerals themselves. This article set out to discover how these fascinating and often intiguing names have arisen. To begin with, the names of many minerals come to us from antiquity, especially those used by ancient people for some useful purpose. These include Quartz, Galena and Gypsum. Alas, many of the original meanings have been lost in time. Quartz, for example, possibly comes from the old German Kwarz, meaning hard, but this is not certain.

In more recent times, newly discovered minerals have usually been named by the person who first recorded their names in print. This is contrary to expectation, and means that it is not always the first person to have discovered them. A good example is the mineral Franklinite which whilst known in Europe for at least two hundred years was not oficially named until the published discovery in Franklin, from which it now gets its name. Arguments over priority have led to a number of attempts to standardise the naming process in some way. One of the first to do so was James Dana in 1847 who proposed giving minerals multiple Latin names, much in the same way as given in biology. However this never gained widespread acceptance and was quickly dropped.

Today some order has been brought by the International Mineralogical Association`s Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names, who have created a set of recommended guidelines. Mineralogists are now advised to follow these. Today most mineral names can be grouped under a number of convenient headings.

Names after People

Many minerals are named after individuals to commemorate an association or as a means of courting favour. Thus scores of geologists, collectors, rulers, philanthropists and explorers have had their names immortalised in this way. The first such minerals is Prehnite, which in 1790 was named by Werner in honour of Colonel von Prehn who found the mineral in Africa. Since then, the practice of naming minerals after people has become the most popular. Other notable examples inlude Smithsonite afterJames Smithson, the British philanthropist, Goethite after the German poet Goethe and the gemstone Alexandrite after Tzar Alexander II of Russia.

Names after Locations

Many names are derived from the location where the minerals were first discovered. This list is also very extensive. Notable examples include Aragonite, after the former kingdom in Spain, Gaultite from Gaul the Roman name for France and Strontianite after the village of Strontian in Scotland.

Names from Mythology

Similarly to living individuals, the names of many Roman, Greek and Scandinavian mythical beings have provided inspiration for minerals. From Norway come the names of Aegerine and Thorite, after the gods Aegir and Thor respectively. Roman myths provide Junoite, after Juno the Queen of the gods, and Vulcanite, referring to Vulcan their blacksmith. Lastly, the Greeks give us Titanite, named after the sons of Uranus, who in turn lends his name to Uraninite.

Names referring to Occurrence

Whilst one way to name minerals is after the location of their discovery, another is to name them according to their association with other rocks or minerals. A good example is Emplectite, from the Greek word entwined because it is always found with Quartz. Realgar, comes from the Arabic mine-sand because of its presence in Spanish silver mines. An interesting misnaming has taken place with Pyroxene which comes from the Greek words for fire and stranger, based on the mistaken belief that it was absent from igneous rocks. However nothing could be further from the truth and Pyroxene is actually the main constituent of such materials.

Names referring to Chemistry

Many mineral names refer to their chemical composition. However in many cases these have arisen in a rather topsy turvy way. Typically the mineral had been named first, and subsequently new elements discovered as constituents have used the name of the mineral as the root for their own name. Thus we get Tungsten from Tungstite and Beryllium from Beryl. So inspite of this turnabout way of naming, the mineral now reflects the chemical content. Other names arise because the chemistry has proved interesting in some way. Two such minerals are Aenigmatite, from the Greek word riddle alluding to the early uncertainty of its composition and Thaumassite from the Greek word surprising because its composition turned out to be highly unexpected when worked out. Even today its inclusion keeps switching between silicates and carbonates.

Names referring to Colour

Colour is one of the most notable features of many minerals and thus not surprisingly gives rise to several mineral names. Thus Albite, an important white feldspar silicate, gets its name from the Greek word for the colour. Similarly the pink minerals Rhodochrosite and Rhodonite get their names form the Greek for rose. Our last example includes Celestite named from the Latin for heaven after the beautiful blue colouration.

Names describing Use

And finally come names that refer to the mineral`s use. Thus Muscovite is a type of mica used for glazing in old Russia. Nephrite, a type of jade was believed to have medicinal properties and treat kidney diseases. And lastly, powdered Amethyst which was believed to cure drunkenness and hence its name reflects the Greek word for not drunken.

Why do mineral names end in ite?

To be sure no-one really knows. However the ending goes back to ancient times, because the Greeks, and later the Romans, used ites and itis to denote qualities, uses, composition and locations of minerals and rocks. Thus for example Siderites (now Siderite) was made up of the Greek word for Iron (Sideros) followed by the suffix denoting the mineral as the metal ore.

The ending lite is thought to come from the French suffix lithe, in turn derived from the Greek lithos, for stone. For example, Apophyllite. Other endings have been used less frequently but nevertheless include some of the most attractive mineral names. Thus ine appears in olivine and tourmaline, ase in dioptase and orthoclase, ote in epidote and glaucodote, ole in amphibole, aste in pleonaste, ime in analcime, and ore in diaspore and purochlore.