Looking through an edition of the Handbook of Mineralogy it appears that some mineral names are quite funny. Many have arisen becuse minerals, especially those discovered recently, are named after people, locations or chemical composition. We are thus blessed with simply unpronouncable species such as Magnesioclinoholmquistite and Metavanadendiesscheite. Others which we find equally amusing are:

Clintonite - forms a close association with lewinskyite. Only kidding...it was named after De Witt Clinton, and is a complex Silicate.

Crocoite - nothing to do with crocodiles, but a brightly coloured chromium mineral. Named after the Greek krokys, meaning wool, whose fibres it frequently resembles.

Microlite - not a small, one-person aeroplane, but a tantalum oxide. Illite - named after Illinois, USA, not a mineral that makes you sick.

Bullachite - we don`t know much about this mineral, except that it smells a bit funny.....

Analcime - not a retentive mineral but named from the Greek, analkes, meaning weak due to its poor conductivity

Beaverite - a complex lead sulphate hydroxide.....what else did you think?

Sillimanite - this describes anyone on their hands and knees looking for specimens down an old mine.

Kaolin - a clay mineral named after its original location in China, and not some ancient martial art.

Stichtite - a violet mineral which is a magnesium chromium carbonate and not a type of glue. Named after Robert Sticht, a mine company director.

Cummingtonite - this must just about be the silliest name of all. Its name comes from Cummington, USA, where it was first found.

Belovite - a very endearing mineral?

Dickite - a clay mineral forming complex layers. Widely used in ceramics and to make glossy paper. Named after T.C Dick, a Scottish geologist.

Fukalite - the rudest mineral, gets its name from the Fuka mine in Japan where it was discovered. It is a complex calcium silicate.

Welshite - this is our favourite, named after the US mineralogist W.R. Welsh. Some say its a beatutiful mineral, we think it's just s***e.

Zykaite - is this an attempt to get the last place in the mineral alphabet?