List of minerals (synonyms)


The International Mineralogical Association is the international group that recognises new minerals and new mineral names. However, minerals discovered before 1959 did not go through the official naming procedure although some minerals published previously have been either confirmed or discredited since that date.
  • Abbreviations:
  • *"*" – discredited.
  • *"?" – questionable/doubtful.
  • *N – published without approval of the IMA/CNMNC.
  • *I – intermediate member of a solid-solution series.
  • *H – hypothetical mineral
  • **ch – incomplete description, hypothetical solid solution end member.
  • *group – a name used to designate a group of species, sometimes only a mineral group name.
  • *no – no link available.
  • *red. – redefinition of...
  • *Y: 1NNN – year of publication.
  • *Y: old – known before publications were available.

    List of main synonyms

Mainly renamed minerals and synonyms used by the Handbook of Mineralogy.

A

  • A
  • *Andorite IV: Quatrandorite; arrojadite-: sigismundite;

    B

  • B
  • *Boldyrevite: UM1941-01-F:AlCaHMgNa; Britholite-: Lessingite-

    C

  • C
  • *Chrysotile: Bostonite, Cyphoîte, Karystiolite, Krysolith, Kuphoite, Kupholite, Lefkasbestos, Picrosmine, Pikrosmin, Schweizerite, Ishkildite ;

    D–E

  • D
  • E
  • *Epidote-: Hancockite;

    F–G

  • F
  • *Fraipontite: Zinalsite; Ferro-Ferritschermakite: Ferri-Ferrotschermakite;
  • G
  • *Gagarinite-: Zajacite-

    H–J

  • H
  • *Helvine: helvite; hinsdalite: orpheite; hydrokenoelsmoreite: alumotungstite, ferritungstite; hisingerite: sturtite;
  • I
  • *
  • J
  • *Johnbaumite-M: fermorite, Jadeite;

    K–L

  • K
  • *Karpatite: pendletonite, carpathite and coronene
  • L
  • *Litidionite: lithidionite

    M

  • M
  • *Manganohörnesite: manganese-hörnesite

    N-O

  • N
  • *Natrozippeite: sodium-zippeite; natroboltwoodite: sodium-boltwoodite;
  • O
  • *Osmium: iridosmine ;

    P–R

  • P
  • *Pyrosmalite-Fe: Ferropyrosmalite
  • Q
  • *Qingheiite: Qinghelite; Qitianlingite: Qitianglinite; Quartz: Azetulite, Azeztulite, Dragonite, Konilite, Lodolite, Quartz-alpha, Quertz; Quartz varieties: Agate, Amberine, Amethyst, Ametrine, Apricotine, Aventurine, Azurchalcedony, Basanite, Bayate, Beekite, Binghamite, Bloodstone, Buhrstone, Carnelian, Chalcedony, Chert, Chrysojasper, Citrine, Cotterite, Creolite, Cubosilicite, Dallasite, Damsonite, Darlingite, Diackethyst, Eisenkiesel, El Doradoite, Flint, Haytorite, Herbeckite, Irnimite, Jasper, Kinradite, Myrickite, Onyx, Pastelite, Prase, Prasiolite, Quartzine, Quetzalitztli, Ribbonstone, Sard, Sardonyx, Schwimmstein, Seftonite
  • R
  • *Rutile: Cajuelite, Crispite, Dicksbergite, Edisonite, Gallitzinite, Paraedrite, Rutilite, Titankalk, Titanschorl; Rutile varieties: Ilmenorutile, Lusterite, Nigrine, Struverite; Römerite: Bückingite, Louderbackite, Roemerite;

    S

  • S
  • *Stibiconite: hydroroméite; smolyaninovite: smolianinovite; sofiite: sophiite;

    T

  • T
  • *Tadzhikite-: Tadzhikite-; tantalite-: ferrotantalite; tantalite-: manganotantalite

    U–Z

  • U
  • *Uzonite: Usonite;
  • V
  • *Veatchite-p: P-Veatchite;
  • W
  • *
  • X
  • *Xanthoconite: Rittingerite, Xanthocone; Xonotlite: Calcium-Pectolite, Eakleite, Xenotlite, Xonaltite, Xonolite
  • Y
  • *Yttrotungstite-: Cerotungstite-
  • Z
  • *

    Mineral varieties

Mainly minerals varieties used by the Handbook of Mineralogy.
  1. Iridosmine*, an osmium variety, 01.AF.05
  2. Plagioclase solid solution series:
  3. #An0: albite; An20: oligoclase; An40: andesine; An60: labradorite; An80: bytownite; An100: anorthite
  4. #Oligoclase, albite variety, 09.FA.35
  5. #Andesine, albite variety, 09.FA.35
  6. #Labradorite, anorthite variety, 09.FA.35
  7. #Bytownite, anorthite variety, 09.FA.35
  8. Ilmenorutile, a rutile variety, 04.DB.05
  9. Incaite*, a franckeite variety, 02.HF.25b
  10. Kamacite, a native iron variety, 01.AE.05
  11. Kerolite*, a Ni-bearing variety of talc, 09.EC.05,
  12. Lewistonite*, a carbonate-rich variety of fluorapatite, 08.BN.05
  13. Metaberyllite*, a variety of beryllite, 09.AE.05,
  14. Potosiite*, a franckeite variety, 02.HF.25b
  15. Sakharovaite*, a Bi-bearing variety of jamesonite, 02.HB.15,
  16. Struverite*, a rutile variety, 04.DB.05

    Doubtful procedures

Unnamed minerals, controversial discreditations

Controversial chemical formulas (IMA Master List)

Suspended (IMA status)

Grandfathered (IMA valid species)

  • Chrysocolla?, it's suggested that it is mixture of spertiniite and chalcedony or opal, it has similarities with copper-bearing allophane.
  • Loranskite- it might be a fictional mineral, the type material is probably a mixture of euxenite and zircon.

    Rejected or discredited minerals

  • Possibly non-valid: bismutostibiconite, lazurite and lonsdaleite.
  • ArsenosulvaniteD
  • *Probably colusite.
  • Carbonate-apatites:
  • *Carbonate-rich fluorapatite 08.BN.05
  • *Carbonate-rich hydroxylapatite 08.BN.05
  • ChelyabinskiteHQD 07.DG.45
  • *Possibly identical to thaumasite.
  • Churchite-D 08.CJ.50
  • DieneriteD 02.??
  • *It was reported as microinclusions in a sobolevite grain, Norilsk deposit.
  • Ferrorhodsite 02.DA.05
  • Fluorarrojadite-N 08.BF.??
  • FoshallasiteD
  • HeliophylliteD 03.DC.65
  • ImgreiteD
  • NatrofairchilditeD
  • *Probably nyerereite.
  • Pseudo-autuniteD
  • SchirmeriteD 02.JB.40d
  • SpodiophylliteD
  • *Possibly a mica related to tainiolite: Canadian Mineralogist 36, 905.
  • StrontioboriteD 06.FC.10
  • VondecheniteD 03.
  • WellsiteD
  • *Either barian phillipsite-Ca or calcian harmotome.
  • Zhonghuacerite-D 05.BD.10
  • *Note: probably huanghoite- or kukharenkoite-.

    Errors and synonyms

  • AnkangiteD 04.DK.05
  • *Synonym of mannardite.
  • AniyunwiyaiteD 08.
  • *Synonym of kingsmountite.
  • AnniviteD 02.
  • BasaluminiteD
  • *Synonym of felsőbányaite.
  • BobdownsiteD 08.AC.45
  • *Synonym of merrillite.
  • BrabantiteD
  • *Synonym of cheralite.
  • BrearleyiteD 04.CC.20
  • *Synonym of chlormayenite.
  • CadmoxiteD 04.AB.??

  • *The type material is uraninite: CNMNC Newsletter No. 17, October 2013
  • ClinotyroliteD 8.DM.10
  • *Synonym of tangdanite.
  • CobaltogordaiteD 07.D?.
  • *Thérèsemagnanite got redefined, same as thérèsemagnanite now.
  • CoeruleolactiteD
  • *Turquoise group, discredited 2006.
  • Chromo-alumino-povondraite 09.CK.05
  • *Former type material is chromdravite: CNMNC Newsletter No. 16, August 2013; Mineralogical Magazine, 77, 2695–2709.
  • DiomigniteD 06.DD.05
  • *Misidentification of zabuyelite.
  • EleonoriteD 8.0
  • *Synonym of beraunite.
  • EndelliteD
  • *Halloysite-10Å
  • FejeriteD 03.??.
  • *Claringbullite got redefined, same as claringbullite now.
  • FerrotelluriteD 07.AB.10
Note: type material is keystoneite.
  • Fluorthalénite- 09.BJ.20
  • *Thalénite- got redefined, same as thalénite- now.
  • FreibergiteD 02.GB.05
  • Lesukite 03.BD.10
  • *It is cadwaladerite.
  • MarianoiteD 9.BE.17
  • *It is wöhlerite.
  • OrpheiteD
  • *Identical to hinsdalite.
  • Potassicmendeleevite- 09.??.
  • SteedeiteD 09.CA.15
  • *Synonym of catapleiite.
  • SurkhobiteD 9.BE.67
  • *Synonym of perraultite

    Non minerals

  • AshaniteD
  • *Probably a mixture of several minerals including ixiolite, samarskite- and uranmicrolite.
  • BoldyreviteD 03.CF.10
  • *It might be impure hydrokenoralstonite or gearksutite.
  • BursaiteD
  • *A mixture of two sulphosalts.
  • GirditeD 04.JL.30
  • *Two or more phases.
  • HorsforditeD
  • *Smelter product, it has three phases.
  • IodineD 01.AA.15
  • *Type specimen description states that it is only a vapour production.
  • ParajamesoniteD
  • *Either jamesonite or a mixture of jamesonite and argentian tetrahedrite and/or ramdohrite.
  • JeromiteD
  • *An amorphous As-S-Se phase of variable composition.
  • MerumiteD
  • *A mixture of mainly eskolaite and bracewellite, grimaldiite, guyanaite and mcconnellite.
  • NatromontebrasiteD
  • *A mixture of amblygonite, lacroixite and wardite.
  • PartziteD 04.??.
  • *A mixture of several phases, which include a member of the plumboroméite group and a chrysocolla-like amorphous phase.
  • PercyliteD
  • *Mixture of boleite und pseudoboleite.
  • SpodiositeD
  • *A mixture of calcite, fluorapatite, serpentine group.
  • ThorogummiteD 09.AD.30
  • * Heterogeneous mixture of secondary, non-crystalline minerals, after the alteration, hydration, or metamictization of thorite.
  • Tombarthite-D 09.AD.35
  • *Many phases.
  • UhligiteD 04.XX.??
  • *Possibly impure perovskite or zirkelite.

    Discredited mineral varieties

  • AnatacamiteD 03.DA.10d
  • *Twinned clinoatacamite.
  • BakeriteD 09.AJ.20
  • *Gadolinite supergroup, datolite group was reviewed.
  • Cheralite-D
  • *Ca-rich monazite-.
  • FupingqiuiteD 08.
  • *Varulite variety.
  • HibschiteD 09.AD.25
  • *A variety of grossular.
  • HydrohetaeroliteD 04.BB.10
  • *A variety of hetaerolite.
  • Luinaite-D 9.CK.05
  • *A variety of schorl
  • MagniotripliteD
  • *A variety of wagnerite.
  • MatraiteD
  • *A densely twinned columnar variety of sphalerite.
  • ParaspurriteD
  • *Polysynthetically microtwinned spurrite.
  • TellurocanfielditeD
  • * Te-rich canfieldite.
  • ViséiteD
  • *Si-bearing crandallite.