In 2010 D. L. Whitney & B. W. Evans published an updated list of mineral abbreviations. See: American Mineralogist, Volume 95, pages 185–187, 2010
Most ore minerals are abbreviated according to Chace (1956)
and most gangue minerals according to Kretz (1983). Following Chace (1956)
and the dominant use in publications on economic geology, and in contrast
to Kretz (1983), mineral abbreviations are written in lowercase. Native elements
are capitalized.
Abbreviations should be logical and consistent (we prefer
zo and czo, py and apy) and reflect established use (ab, an). They should
also respect IMA English names (nk nickeline; not nc niccolite), and, as much
as possible, etymology, prefixes and suffixes (digenite dg).
Mineral abbreviations should not coincide with atomics symbols
if the native element does occur in nature (arsenopyrite: asp and not as,
calcite: cal and not ca).
| Sorted by mineral name |
| MINERAL NAME |
ABBREV. |
| |
|
| actinolite |
act |
| albite |
ab |
| allanite |
all |
| almandine |
alm |
| aluminum phosphate-sulfate minerals |
APS |
| alunite |
alu, alun (?) |
| amphibole (group) |
amph |
| anatase |
anat |
| andalusite |
and, anda (?) |
| andesine |
andes |
| andradite |
ad, adr (?) |
| anhydrite |
anh |
| ankerite |
ank |
| anorthite |
an |
| antimonite = stibnite |
stbn |
| apatite (group) |
ap |
| argentite |
arg |
| arsenopyrite |
asp |
| augite |
aug |
| azurite |
az |
| barite |
bar |
| biotite |
bt, bio (?) |
| bismuthinite |
bis |
| blende = sphalerite |
sl |
| bornite |
bn |
| boulangerite |
boul |
| brookite |
brk |
| brucite |
brc |
| bytownite |
byt |
| calcite |
cal |
| carrollite |
car, carr (?) |
| cassiterite |
cst, cas (?) |
| celestite |
cls |
| chalcedony (quartz variety) |
chc |
| chalcocite |
cc |
| chalcopyrite |
cp |
| chlorite (group) |
chl |
| chromite |
chr |
| cinnabar |
ci |
| clinopyroxene (series) |
cpx |
| clinozoisite |
czo |
| cobaltite |
cob |
| cordierite |
crd |
| corundum |
crn |
| covellite |
cv |
| cristobalite |
crs |
| cubanite |
cub |
| cuprite |
cup |
| diaspore |
dsp |
| dickite |
dck |
| digenite |
dg |
| diopside |
dio, di (?) |
| dolomite |
dol |
| electrum |
el |
| enargite |
enr |
| enstatite |
ens |
| epidote |
ep |
| fahlore (tn-td) |
fh |
| famatinite |
fm |
| fayalite |
fa |
| feldspar (group) |
fs, fds (?) |
| ferberite |
frb, fb (?) |
| fluorite |
fl |
| forsterite |
fo |
| franckeite |
frk |
| galena |
gn |
| gangue |
gg |
| garnet (group) |
grt, gar (?) |
| geocronite |
gcr |
| goethite |
goe |
| graphite |
graph (?) |
| grossular |
grs, gr (?) |
| grunerite |
gru |
| gypsum |
gy |
| hübnerite |
hub, hu (?) |
| halite |
hl |
| hedenbergite |
hd |
| hematite |
hm |
| hornblende |
hbl |
| illite |
ill |
| ilmenite |
ilm |
| ilvaite |
ilv |
| intermediate solid solution |
iss |
| jamesonite |
jm |
| kaolinite |
kao |
| K-feldspar (series) |
kfs, k-fs, k-fds (?) |
| kyanite |
ky |
| löllingite |
lol, loel |
| labradorite |
lab |
| limonite |
lm |
| linnaeite |
ln, lin (?) |
| luzonite |
lz |
| maghemite |
mgh |
| magnesite |
mgs |
| magnetite |
mt |
| malachite |
mal |
| marcasite |
mr, mrc (?) |
| mica (group) |
mic |
| microcline |
mc |
| molybdenite |
mo |
| monazite |
mnz |
| monosulfide solution |
mss |
| montmorillonite |
mm |
| muscovite |
ms |
| naumannite |
nau |
| nepheline |
ne |
| nickeline (niccolite) |
nk |
| oligoclase |
olg |
| olivine (group) |
ol |
| orpiment |
orp |
| orthoclase |
or |
| orthopyroxene (series) |
opx |
| paragonite |
prg |
| pentlandite |
pn |
| phlogopite |
phl |
| plagioclase (series) |
plag, pg, pl (?) |
| platinum group elements |
PGE |
| proustite |
pr |
| pyrargyrite |
pyrg |
| pyrite |
py |
| pyrophyllite |
prl |
| pyroxene (group) |
px |
| pyrrhotite |
po |
| quartz |
qtz, qz (?) |
| rare earth elements |
REE |
| realgar |
rl, rlg |
| resin (impregnation material) |
res |
| rhodochrosite |
rdc |
| rhodonite |
rdn |
| rutile |
rt |
| salite |
sal |
| sanidine |
sa |
| scapolite (group) |
scp |
| scheelite |
sch |
| sericite |
ser |
| serpentine (group) |
srp |
| siderite |
sd |
| skutterudite |
skut |
| smectite (group) |
smc |
| solid solution |
ss |
| sphalerite |
sl |
| sphene (titanite) |
ttn, tit |
| spinel |
spi |
| stannite |
stn |
| stibnite |
stbn |
| stilbite |
stlb |
| strontianite |
str |
| sulfosalts (class) |
sfs |
| talc |
tlc |
| tellurides (class) |
tel |
| tennantite |
tn |
| tetrahedrite |
td, tt, th (?) |
| titanite |
ttn, tit |
| topaz |
tpz |
| tourmaline (group) |
tour |
| tremolite |
trm |
| tridymite |
trd |
| troilite |
tro |
| uraninite |
ur |
| vermiculite |
vrm |
| wolframite (fb-hub) |
wf |
| wollastonite |
wo |
| zeolite (group) |
zeo |
| zircon |
zr |
| zoisite |
zo |
| zunyite |
zun |
|
|
| Sorted by abbreviation |
| ABBREV. |
MINERAL NAME |
| |
|
| albite |
ab |
| actinolite |
act |
| andradite |
ad, adr (?) |
| allanite |
all |
| almandine |
alm |
| alunite |
alu, alun (?) |
| amphibole (group) |
amph |
| anorthite |
an |
| anatase |
anat |
| andalusite |
and, anda (?) |
| andesine |
andes |
| anhydrite |
anh |
| ankerite |
ank |
| apatite (group) |
ap |
| aluminum phosphate-sulfate minerals |
APS |
| argentite |
arg |
| arsenopyrite |
asp |
| augite |
aug |
| azurite |
az |
| barite |
bar |
| bismuthinite |
bis |
| bornite |
bn |
| boulangerite |
boul |
| brucite |
brc |
| brookite |
brk |
| biotite |
bt, bio (?) |
| bytownite |
byt |
| calcite |
cal |
| carrollite |
car, carr (?) |
| chalcocite |
cc |
| chalcedony (quartz variety) |
chc |
| chlorite (group) |
chl |
| chromite |
chr |
| cinnabar |
ci |
| celestite |
cls |
| cobaltite |
cob |
| chalcopyrite |
cp |
| clinopyroxene (series) |
cpx |
| cordierite |
crd |
| corundum |
crn |
| cristobalite |
crs |
| cassiterite |
cst, cas (?) |
| cubanite |
cub |
| cuprite |
cup |
| covellite |
cv |
| clinozoisite |
czo |
| dickite |
dck |
| digenite |
dg |
| diopside |
dio, di (?) |
| dolomite |
dol |
| diaspore |
dsp |
| electrum |
el |
| enargite |
enr |
| enstatite |
ens |
| epidote |
ep |
| fayalite |
fa |
| fahlore (tn-td) |
fh |
| fluorite |
fl |
| famatinite |
fm |
| forsterite |
fo |
| ferberite |
frb, fb (?) |
| franckeite |
frk |
| feldspar (group) |
fs, fds (?) |
| geocronite |
gcr |
| gangue |
gg |
| galena |
gn |
| goethite |
goe |
| graphite |
graph (?) |
| grossular |
grs, gr (?) |
| garnet (group) |
grt, gar (?) |
| grunerite |
gru |
| gypsum |
gy |
| hornblende |
hbl |
| hedenbergite |
hd |
| halite |
hl |
| hematite |
hm |
| hübnerite |
hub, hu (?) |
| illite |
ill |
| ilmenite |
ilm |
| ilvaite |
ilv |
| intermediate solid solution |
iss |
| jamesonite |
jm |
| kaolinite |
kao |
| K-feldspar (series) |
kfs, k-fs, k-fds (?) |
| kyanite |
ky |
| labradorite |
lab |
| limonite |
lm |
| linnaeite |
ln, lin (?) |
| löllingite |
lol, loel |
| luzonite |
lz |
| malachite |
mal |
| microcline |
mc |
| maghemite |
mgh |
| magnesite |
mgs |
| mica (group) |
mic |
| montmorillonite |
mm |
| monazite |
mnz |
| molybdenite |
mo |
| marcasite |
mr, mrc (?) |
| muscovite |
ms |
| monosulfide solution |
mss |
| magnetite |
mt |
| naumannite |
nau |
| nepheline |
ne |
| nickeline (niccolite) |
nk |
| olivine (group) |
ol |
| oligoclase |
olg |
| orthopyroxene (series) |
opx |
| orthoclase |
or |
| orpiment |
orp |
| platinum group elements |
PGE |
| phlogopite |
phl |
| plagioclase (series) |
plag, pg, pl (?) |
| pentlandite |
pn |
| pyrrhotite |
po |
| proustite |
pr |
| paragonite |
prg |
| pyrophyllite |
prl |
| pyroxene (group) |
px |
| pyrite |
py |
| pyrargyrite |
pyrg |
| quartz |
qtz, qz (?) |
| rhodochrosite |
rdc |
| rhodonite |
rdn |
| rare earth elements |
REE |
| resin (impregnation material) |
res |
| realgar |
rl, rlg |
| rutile |
rt |
| sanidine |
sa |
| salite |
sal |
| scheelite |
sch |
| scapolite (group) |
scp |
| siderite |
sd |
| sericite |
ser |
| sulfosalts (class) |
sfs |
| skutterudite |
skut |
| sphalerite |
sl |
| blende = sphalerite |
sl |
| smectite (group) |
smc |
| spinel |
spi |
| serpentine (group) |
srp |
| solid solution |
ss |
| antimonite = stibnite |
stbn |
| stibnite |
stbn |
| stilbite |
stlb |
| stannite |
stn |
| strontianite |
str |
| tetrahedrite |
td, tt, th (?) |
| tellurides (class) |
tel |
| talc |
tlc |
| tennantite |
tn |
| tourmaline (group) |
tour |
| topaz |
tpz |
| tridymite |
trd |
| tremolite |
trm |
| troilite |
tro |
| sphene (titanite) |
ttn, tit |
| titanite |
ttn, tit |
| uraninite |
ur |
| vermiculite |
vrm |
| wolframite (fb-hub) |
wf |
| wollastonite |
wo |
| zeolite (group) |
zeo |
| zoisite |
zo |
| zircon |
zr |
| zunyite |
zun |
|
Comments:
- Bold: main terms for ore microscopy
- Italics: others than mineral names approved by IMA
- For stibnite the abbreviation stbn is proposed
because stb is used for stilbite by Kretz (1983).
- Each mineral has a direct link to the mineral database Athena.
References:
Chace (1956), Abbreviations in field and mine geological
mapping, Economic Geology, v. 51, p. 712-723.
Kretz, R. (1983), Symbols for rock-forming minerals,
American Mineralogist, v.68, p.277-279.
Acknowledgements:
Contributions of Y. Haeberlin (Geneva), R. Marschik (Freiberg),
M. Boni (Napoli), M. and M. Shimizu (Toyohama), J. Ellis (Montevideo), F.
Tornos (Salamanca), L. Meinert (WSU), N. Cook (NGU), are acknowledged.
[Mineral Resources and Geofluids] [Ore microscopy] [Systematic] [Properties] [Slides] [Abbreviations] [Search for formula at Athena]
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