Feldspar is the name given to a group of minerals distinguished by the presence of aluminum and the silica ion in their chemistry. Feldspar is the single most abundant mineral group on Earth and together the varieties of feldspar account for one half of the Earth’s crust. It forms in a variety of thermal environments during the crystallization of liquid rock (magma), by metamorphism of rocks deep within Earth's surface and in sedimentary processes.
They are generally light-coloured, including white, pink, tan, green, or grey. Their colour varies due to impurities within the crystal structure. Feldspar is the mineral which gives Granite its pink, green or grey colour.
Its name is an abbreviation of 'fieldspar' which came about because some early specimens were found in fields and 'spar' is a generic term used by geologists to refer to any non-metallic mineral with a glassy (vitreous) lustre that breaks on distinct flat surfaces. It comes from the the German 'Feld'- field and 'Spat' - a rock that does not contain ore.
Amazonite, Moonstone, Labradorite and Sunstone are just some of the many gemstones which are Feldspars.
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