Using This Site
Introduction
There are currently around 4,000 officially recognized mineral species known to occur globally – of these 365 have been confirmed from Wales, with a further 50 or so listed in the literature but which have never been properly confirmed. This site provides a comprehensive and authoritative listing of all known mineral species from Wales. By knowing what we have, we can value and conserve our geological heritage.
This site consists of two main parts, the main mineral entries (see Mineral Database) and pages that provide background information. This gives both a brief history of the science of mineralogy in Wales up to the present day, and also provides geological details as to the way in which minerals occur and are associated with each other. This will assist with an explanation of some of the more technical terms used in the mineral entries. If you have any comments or queries about any of the content please use the Feedback link to get in touch with Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales staff.
Copyright
Copyright in all content comprising or contained within this website remains with Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales and other copyright owners as specified.
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales copyrighted images may be used for educational purposes provided they are for personal or school use. For all other usage please contact us using the ‘Contacts’ page. You may not reproduce images where copyright is not held by Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, unless you have obtained the permission of the copyright holder.
A Guide to the Mineral Data
The mineral data can be accessed through an alphabetical list of mineral names. Navigation is by a simple A-Z system. Information may also be retrieved by the Mineral Database facility. The data within each entry are split into the following categories.
| Mineral Name | This is the CNMNC – IMA approved spelling (see page below for details of the CNMNC) |
| Status in Wales | Categories Confirmed occurrence Confirmed – type locality in Wales Confirmed - 1st UK recording Confirmed - 2nd UK recording Confirmed - 3rd UK recording Unconfirmed Discredited Discredited/obsolete mineral name |
| Distribution | A rough estimate of the abundance of the mineral in Wales e.g. Ubiquitous Widespread Locally abundant Uncommon Rare |
| Chemical composition | A general description of the chemical composition |
| Chemical formula | The chemical formula as cited by the IMA |
| Chemical group | The broad chemical grouping to which the mineral belongs (e.g. silicates, sulphides). |
| Verification | This is the method by which the identification has been confirmed. The main methods listed are :
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| Localities | The key occurrences of the minerals are listed here. This is not a comprehensive list but includes the best or most representative examples |
| Introduction | An overview of the composition and occurrence of the mineral |
| Occurrence in Wales | More specific information on the occurrence of this mineral in Wales |
| Geological context | A guide to the geological setting in which the mineral is found. Some minerals may be present in many settings ( e.g. pyrite) whereas others are restricted to just one (e.g. glaucophane). These settings only relate to Wales. Further details of each setting are provided under ‘ Minerals where and why they occur’ . |
| Crystal system | Minerals can be allocated to seven crystal systems, cubic, tetragonal, trigonal, hexagonal, orthorhombic, triclinic, monoclinic. Where there is uncertainty, some minerals may have more than one system listed, and others may be listed as amorphous, where the crystal system has not been determined. |
| References | Reference to published information in scientific journals, books and magazines. |
