ABSTRACT
Zeolites are a large group of related silicate minerals that contain alkali and alkali earth elements, along with aluminum, silicon, oxygen, and water. Minerals and mineral groups are diverse, varying greatly in composition and atomic arrangement. Adding more complications, the term mineral is used in many ways. All minerals, like all materials, consist of one or more elements, the building blocks of all matter. Rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals, mineral- like substances, and organic components. Igneous mineral crystals in granites and other plutonic rocks may be sand- or pea-sized. Metamorphism often involves replacement of preexisting minerals by new ones. Gem manufacturers also produce simulants that have an appearance similar to that of a natural gemstone but have different composition. Ice, which meets all the requirements for being a mineral, is probably the most common mineral at Earth’s surface. Formulas vary from short and simple to long and complex, depending on the minerals.
