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If you have found a transparent or translucent yellow mineral, this list will help you identify which mineral it is. And you will also be able to identify other yellow minerals that are quite abundant on the earth’s surface.
To identify the mineral, you must first inspect it under a good light, preferably with a uniform background that allows you to see all the details of the mineral in question. The exact color, tone, luster, and even hardness of the mineral are important. All these elements will help you identify his name.
Another useful resource is to make inquiries about the geological environment in which the mineral is found to find out if the rock that accompanies it is igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic.
With all the aspects already described in mind, use the following list to identify it. You will most likely be able to easily identify it, as the list is made up of the most common minerals available in nature.
1.- Amber
Due to its vegetable origin, amber has a color that resembles that of honey. You can also find samples of a slightly darker color and with greenish tones. It is usually transparent or translucent, and has the peculiarity of floating in seawater. It is considered a semi-precious stone and has been highly valued for its beauty since ancient times.
2.- Calcite
It is a mineral of low hardness that has a wide distribution in the world. It presents a range of colors from caramel to white, depending on the level of impurities it contains. A very simple way to verify that we have found calcite is by doing a test with a little vinegar. The calcite should react by letting out bubbles of carbon dioxide.
3.- Carnotite
Carnotite can appear in shades of lemon yellow or bright greenish. It is usually found as crusts in sandstone or dispersed in mines and deposits. This mineral is of great interest to uranium prospectors, since its presence often indicates the existence of uranium in the depths.
4.- Feldspar
Feldspar is a mineral that is very commonly used in the glass and ceramic manufacturing industry. Feldspar can be found with different proportions of potassium, sodium and calcium, and each variety could be used mostly for glass, enamels, white-paste ceramics and others. In some cases it has a yellowish color.
5.- Plaster
Gypsum is the most common sulfate mineral. It is usually transparent and found in the form of crystals and can also have earth tones in environments where there is clay or iron oxide. Plaster is one of the oldest building materials; Already in the Neolithic it was used to join pieces of walls and houses.
6.- Quartz
Quartz, in addition to being found in white samples, appears in yellow in the microcrystalline rock agate. The yellow variety of quartz is known as citrine and is a gem valued for its beauty. Previously it was used as a talisman to ward off diseases and inappropriate thoughts.
7.- Sulfur
Sulfur is a non-metallic mineral with an obvious yellow color that makes it easily identifiable. It is found naturally in volcanic regions and is used primarily as a fertilizer and for the manufacture of gunpowder, matches, and insecticides. Its yellow color can vary to amber or reddish due to various contaminants present in its formation.
8.- Other yellow minerals
Other yellow minerals can be found in rock and mineral exhibits, as their location in nature is more unusual. These include gummite, microlite, millerite, and pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold.” We can also include those other minerals that can occasionally adopt yellow colors, such as alunite, apatite, baryte, beryl, corundum, dolomite and epidote, among others.
References
igme. (2011) Feldspar and feldspathic sands. mining panorama. Available at: https://www.igme.es/PanoramaMinero/Historico/2011/FELDESPATO11.pdf
Line Mining (S/F) Rocks and minerals. Available at: https://mineriaenlinea.com/rocas_y_minerales/
Schumann, W. (1987) Scientific and Technical Vocabulary.
