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This document is intended to be an easy-to-read reference the currently recommended terms of the Mineralogy Extension. This document is not part of the standard. It draws on the term names and definitions from the normative part of the standard and combines them with comments and examples that are not normative, but that are meant to help people to use the terms consistently. Comprehensive metadata for current and obsolete terms in human readable form are found in a list of terms document. List of files and types can be found in the Mineralogy Extension repository.

Requirements

The tables below provides a summary of the required classes and terms in the Mineralogy Extension.

Required Classes
Class Label Required
minext::ConstituentPart Mineral True
Required Terms
Term Label Class Required
minext::constituentPartType Constituent Part Type ConstituentPart True
minext::materialEntityIdentifier Material Identifier ConstituentPart True
minext::constituentPartIdentifier Constituent Part Identifier ConstituentPart True
minext::name Name MineralName True
minext::nameIdentifier Name Identifier MineralName True

Mineralogy Extension

Chemistry

minext:Chemistry minext:measuredChemistry minext:chemistryRemarks minext:measuredFormulaSource minext:mineralogicalAnalysisProtocol
Label Chemistry
Definition Properties that describe the chemical composition of a mineral
minext:measuredChemistry Property
Label Measured Formula
Definition A concise expression of the chemical composition of a mineral that shows the number of atoms of each element in a molecule, their spatial arrangement, and their linkage to each other.
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • SiO2 (65.76), TiO2 (32.120), Al2O3 (2.21)
  • (Mg0.77Fe0.23)2SiO4
  • An6.4 Ab73.6 Or20
minext:chemistryRemarks Property
Label Chemistry Remarks
Definition General remarks about the chemical and isotopic composition of a mineral
Term Scope Mineral
minext:measuredFormulaSource Property
Label Measured Formula Source
Definition A list (concatenated and separated) of resources associated with the reported measured chemistry described specifically enough to allow anyone in the future to use the same resources.
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use full bibliographic citations, global unique identifiers, or resolvable and persistent URIs. See the broader concept http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/associatedReferences
Examples
  • Novak, G. A., & Gibbs, G. V. (1971). The crystal chemistry of the silicate garnets. American Mineralogist: Journal of Earth and Planetary Materials, 56(5-6), 791-825.
minext:mineralogicalAnalysisProtocol Property
Label Mineralogical Analysis Protocol
Definition The technique utilized to determine the chemical composition or crystallography of a mineral
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Acronyms should be avoided even for widely recognized annotations. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as https://vocabs.ardc.edu.au/viewById/650
Examples
  • Wet Chemistry
  • X-ray fluorescence
  • Electron probe microanalysis
  • Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
  • X=ray diffraction

ChronometricAge

chrono:ChronometricAge chrono:chronometricAgeEvent
Label ChronometricAge
Definition An approximation of a temporal position (in the sense conveyed by https://www.w3.org/TR/owl-time/#time:TemporalPosition) that is supported via evidence.
chrono:chronometricAgeEvent Property
Label Chronometric Age Event
Definition Geologic event or process the chronometric age of a mineral is attributed too
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • Maximum Depositional Age
  • Igneous Crystallization

Conservation

minext:Conservation minext:treatments minext:handlingRequirements minext:damageRemarks
Label Conservation
Definition Processes, protocols, and techniques established for the purpose of the protection and preservation of a mineral or specimen
minext:treatments Property
Label Treatments
Definition Description of any actions taken to alter the specimen for a particular purpose
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Includes both proactive and reactive actions
Examples
  • Mineral heated to enhance color
  • Pieces glued together for reconstruction
  • Polished surface to improvement that visibility of fabrics and mineralogy
minext:handlingRequirements Property
Label Handling Requirements
Definition A summary of the procedural requirements employed to preserve and protect the specimen during physical interaction
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • Handle with gloves
  • Not to be taken out of storage medium
  • delicate
  • avoid contact with direct sunlight
minext:damageRemarks Property
Label Damage Remarks
Definition A general description of any material changes to a mineral which is perceived to have negatively affected an item’s value-defining aspects.
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • Due to oxidation and hydration of the pyrite in the coal, the sample has largely decayed to a coal powder with some larger coal pieces
  • Some terminations broken off
  • Attached label not legible (or torn, or covered)

ConstituentPart

minext:ConstituentPart minext:materialEntityIdentifier minext:constituentPartIdentifier minext:constituentPartType minext:constituentPartProportion minext:constituentPartRole minext:predicatedName
Label Mineral
Definition A physically discernible part of a compound specimen that has a distinct proportion and role relative to the parent object and a discrete determination based on physical and chemical characteristics. All parts of a compound specimen are unified through physical attachment or other unifying criteria.
Usage Notes Each Constituent Part belongs to one and only one Constituent Part Type (Rock, Fossil, Mineral, etc). The shared characteristic among all records that utilize the Mineralogy Extension is they must belong to the Constituent Part Type, Mineral defined as an element or a chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes (Nickel 1995).
minext:materialEntityIdentifier Property
Label Material Identifier
Definition An identifier for a Material (Compound Specimen).
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Required to establish a relationship between a parent material record (specimen-level) with zero to many child constituent part records (mineral-level)
Examples
  • 8fa58e08-08de-4ac1-b69c-1235340b7111
minext:constituentPartIdentifier Property
Label Constituent Part Identifier
Definition A unique identifier for an instance of a ConstituentPart.
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes In the absence of a persistent global unique identifier, construct one from a combination of identifiers in the record that will most closely make the dwc:constituentPartID globally unique. Recommended best practice is to use a persistent, globally unique identifier. Constituent Part ID is used to construct the relationship between a specimen (compound object) and mineral (constituent part).
Examples
  • 8fa58e08-08de-4ac1-b69c-1235340b7111
minext:constituentPartType Property
Label Constituent Part Type
Definition Term belonging to an upper-level, generalized Classification Scheme of Constituent Parts (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YiLQaW8-bauA-cdO6v5Gv4keb8gja_zcIH6B8bsGqIw/edit?gid=909692701#gid=909692701)
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a shared controlled vocabulary. A Constituent Part belongs to only one Constituent Part Type.
Examples
  • Mineral
  • Fossil
  • Rock
minext:constituentPartProportion Property
Label Proportion
Definition The qualitative or quantitative fraction the geologic specimen is composed of the constituent part
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as https://cgi.vocabs.ga.gov.au/object?uri=http%3A//resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/proportionterm
Examples
  • 20%
  • minor
  • dominant
minext:constituentPartRole Property
Label Role
Definition Specifies the relationship between a constituent part and its parent geologic specimen
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as https://cgi.vocabs.ga.gov.au/object?uri=http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/compoundmaterialconstituentpartrole
Examples
  • matrix
  • groundmass
  • phenocryst
  • xenolith
  • vein
minext:predicatedName Property
Label Predicated Name
Definition A compound name of a specimen that includes two parts: 1) Mineral names and 2) One or more term separators (predicates) that define the relationship between the minerals in a specimen.
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Always contains at least three parts: 2 mineral names and the predicated phrase that defines the relationship between them. A predicated name may contain more than two mineral names.
Examples
  • Azurite after Malachite
  • Rutile in Quartz

GeologicContext

dwc:GeologicContext minext:geologicProvince minext:complex minext:suite minext:modeOfOccurrence minext:geologicEvent minext:mineralSequence
Label Geologic Context
Definition Geological information, such as stratigraphy, that qualifies a region or place.
minext:geologicProvince Property
Label Geologic Province
Definition Extensive named region with a similar geologic history throughout or similar structural, petrographic, or physiographic features in which the dwc:Location occurs
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • Coastal Plain
  • Piedmont
  • Blue Ridge
  • Colorado Plateaus
  • Basin and Range
  • Dalradian Metamorphic Belt
minext:complex Property
Label Complex
Definition A lithostratigraphic unit composed of diverse types of any class or classes or rocks, characterized by irregularly mixed lithology or highly complicated structural relations, and does not follow the law of superposition
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Due to the unstructured nature of complexes, both named units and lithological descriptive terms are acceptable values.
Examples
  • Catalina Core Complex (named unit) igneous complex
  • injection complex
  • metamorphic complex
  • basement complex
minext:suite Property
Label Suite
Definition A body of or one or more intrusive, pervasively deformed, or highly metamorphosed rock, generally non-tabular and lacking primary depositional structures, and characterized by lithic homogeneity
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Suite is comparable to the lithostratigraphic ranks, group or formation. Encompasses the geologic unit types, lithodeme and suite, as defined in the North American Stratigraphic Code
Examples
  • Ashe Metamorphic Suite
minext:modeOfOccurrence Property
Label Mode of Occurrence
Definition A short description of the physical manifestation of a geologic process or geologic environment where a mineral naturally occurs
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as https://vocabs.ga.gov.au/object?uri=https%3A//pid.geoscience.gov.au/def/voc/ga/ModesOfOccurence
Examples
  • Hydrothermal vents
  • veins
  • lightning impact
  • plutonic intrusive
minext:geologicEvent Property
Label Geologic Event
Definition An identifiable event during which one or more geological processes associated with the formation of a geological specimen or act to modify an existing geological specimen. 
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • Sevier orogeny
  • Alleghanian orogeny
  • Alpine orogeny
  • Variscan orogeny
  • Waipounamu Erosion surface
  • Vredefort impact
minext:mineralSequence Property
Label Mineral Sequence
Definition A list of minerals in a specimen ordered in a manner that illustrates the relative timing of mineral formation within a specimen.
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes The list should only contain minerals that belong to a readily identifiable sequence of formation. Therefore, a list may contain a subset of the minerals in a specimen. Minerals that formed in-situ with one another are separated by a plus. Minerals that formed in the sequence are separated by a greater than symbol.
Examples
  • Sphalerite > Quartz > Pyrite
  • Calcite > Quartz > Sphalerite > Pyrite

Hazard

minext:Hazard minext:hazardType minext:hazardDescription
Label Hazard
Definition Properties that describe sources of of potential damage, harm, or adverse health effects on something or someone.
minext:hazardType Property
Label Hazard Type
Definition Term that belongs to a hazard classification scheme based on a set of unique characteristics and negative health outcomes.
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary
Examples
  • Carcinogen
  • skin irritant
  • radioactive
  • toxic
minext:hazardDescription Property
Label Hazard Description
Definition General remarks regarding the hazard type within the scope of the specific collection object
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • asbestos
  • slightly radioactive

Location

dwc:Location minext:sampledFeature minext:namedPlace minext:isTypeLocality
Label Location
Definition A spatial region or named place.
minext:sampledFeature Property
Label Sampled Feature
Definition The type of physical feature, both naturally-occurring and anthropogenic in origin, sampled during a sampling event (dwc:Event) at a dwc:Location
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes A sampled feature has a type and optional name that distinguishes the feature from similar entities. Sampled features can be anthropogenic (roadcut, borehole) or naturally occurring (outcrop).
Examples
  • float
  • mine dump
  • mine/quarry pit
  • outcrop
  • erratic boulder
minext:namedPlace Property
Label Named Place
Definition The full, unabbreviated name of a geographic location not otherwise categorized by a dwc:Location property that is naturally occurring or anthropogenic in origin within a historical, administrative, or cultural context in which dcterms:Location occurs.
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Only the names of locations anthropogenic in origin should use the namedPlace property. For naturally-occurring locations, please use terms in dwc:GeologicContext (e.g., geologicProvince) class. For named places represented as URIs or global unique identifiers, please use dwc:locationID.
Examples
  • Susanna Mine
  • Craigleith Quarry
  • Red Cloud Mine
minext:isTypeLocality Property
Label Is Type Locality
Definition Whether or not the dwc:Locaiton is the same locality where the original material came from for the formal definition of the mineral species.
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • True
  • False

MaterialAssertion

dwc:MaterialAssertion minext:specimenDescription minext:verbatimSize minext:maxSpecimenDimensionInMillimeters minext:verbatimMass minext:measuredMassInGrams minext:mineralDescription minext:maxCrystalDimensionInMillimeters minext:associatedMinerals minext:aggregateForm minext:crystalHabit minext:crystalForm minext:twinningLaw minext:color minext:exsolutionTexture minext:cleavage minext:luster minext:inclusions minext:luminescence minext:alterationDescription
Label Material Assertion
Definition An Assertion is a statement about an entity and the process by which it was ascertained. An Assertion can be made at one time and assert the state of something at another time. Examples: a measurement, an observation, an annotation.
minext:specimenDescription Property
Label Specimen Description
Definition Comments or notes about the specimen (physical object) especially those that distinguish the specimen from similar materials in a collection
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes See broader concept http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/occurrenceRemarks for additional usage notes
Examples
  • Showpiece
  • Historically valuable
  • Extraordinary composition
  • Two generations of quartz
minext:verbatimSize Property
Label Verbatim Size
Definition The verbatim size of a specimen as originally described in primary source material
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • 10 cm x 5 cm X 5 cm
  • largest diameter 16 cm
  • width 3 inches
minext:maxSpecimenDimensionInMillimeters Property
Label Maximum Axial Dimension
Definition Maximum axial dimension of specimen measured in millimeters
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • 100
minext:verbatimMass Property
Label Verbatim Mass
Definition The original reported verbatim mass includes original units of measurement
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • 11.01 Lbs
  • 105.07 g
  • 2.45 kg
minext:measuredMassInGrams Property
Label Measured Mass In Grams
Definition Mass of specimen measured in grams
Term Scope Specimen
Examples
  • 4994
minext:mineralDescription Property
Label Mineral Description
Definition Comments or notes about the mineral instance, especially those that distinguish the mineral from similar materials in a collection
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes The scope of this term is strictly to a mineral within the context of the specimen. Specimen level descriptions belong in the related term, specimenDescription. Sibling concept to http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/occurrenceRemarks
Examples
  • Pink fluorite on quartz
  • Lengenbachite on sugar-grained dolomite
  • Epitaxial growth on kyanite
  • Doubly terminated quartz crystals
minext:maxCrystalDimensionInMillimeters Property
Label Maximum Axial Dimension
Definition Maximum axial dimension of largest crystal measured in millimeters
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • 30
minext:associatedMinerals Property
Label Associated Minerals
Definition List of secondary minerals associated with a mineral in a specimen
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • calcite
  • dolomite
  • baryte
minext:aggregateForm Property
Label Aggregate Form
Definition Observable crystal shapes of an assemblage of minerals
Term Scope Specimen
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary
Examples
  • radial
  • botryoidal
  • oolithic
minext:crystalHabit Property
Label Crystal Habit
Definition A general term for describing the outward appearance of a mineral
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary. For a given type of crystal, the habit may vary from locality to locality depending on environment of growth.
Examples
  • isometric
  • tabular
  • fibrous
  • dogtooth
  • nailhead
minext:crystalForm Property
Label Crystal Form
Definition Geometric shape of a crystal
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary
Examples
  • cube
  • ditrigonal pyramid
  • scalenohedron
minext:twinningLaw Property
Label Twinning Law
Definition Short description of any physically discernable twinning
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • Dauphiné twinning/Dauphiné Law
  • Japan twinning/Japan Law
  • Brazil twinning/Brazil Law
minext:color Property
Label Color
Definition The intrinsic color of a mineral under natural light
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Here, color is caused by the absorption, or lack of absorption of different wavelengths of natural light by a particular mineral
Examples
  • Blue
  • green
  • red
  • iridescent
minext:exsolutionTexture Property
Label Exsolution Texture
Definition A brief description of textures formed by exsolution
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • Ilmenite lamellae in olivine
  • Clinopyroxene lamellae along the (100) plane of orthopyroxene
  • Antiperthite exsolution.
minext:cleavage Property
Label Cleavage
Definition Type of breakages along a plane of weakness, especially those parallel to crystal faces
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • Extraordinary well developed rectangular cleavage
minext:luster Property
Label Luster
Definition The reflection of light from the surface of a mineral, described by its quality and intensity
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary
Examples
  • Metallic
  • Glassy
  • Waxy
minext:inclusions Property
Label Inclusions
Definition Short description of any inclusions present within a mineral that includes the phase and physical characteristics
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • Star-shaped rutile needles in quartz
  • Needles of tourmaline in quartz (blue quarz)
  • Fluid inclusions (liquid bubble and single crystal) in quartz
minext:luminescence Property
Label Luminescence Description
Definition The type and nature of light emitted from the mineral upon receiving energy from an external source.
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Includes all types of luminescence including fluorescence (all wavelengths) and phosphorescence. Recommended best practice is to use nomenclature in part based on the source of energy, or the trigger for the luminescence.
Examples
  • Green fluorescence
  • Pink under short wave UV light
minext:alterationDescription Property
Label Alteration Description
Definition A description of any observed changes in the composition of a mineral brought about by physical or chemical processes related to changes in the physical or chemical environment.
Term Scope Mineral
Examples
  • Dolomitization
  • Fenitization
  • Rodingitization

MineralName

minext:MineralName minext:name minext:nameIdentifier minext:dcterms:language minext:mineralNamePublishedIn minext:classificationCode minext:nameType minext:nameRemarks
Label Mineral Name
Definition The designation of a mineral by a linguistic expression including both informal (verbatim) and formal (classifications) types
minext:name Property
Label Name
Definition A human-readable lexical label assigned to a mineral includes both informal (e.g., variety, synonym) and formal (classification) forms
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes The name defined in the first object is considered the preferred name
Examples
  • Quartz
  • Smoky Quartz
  • Muscovite
  • Garnet Group
minext:nameIdentifier Property
Label Name Identifier
Definition An identifier for the set of dwc:MineralName information. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended best practice is to use a persistent, globally unique identifier. Name ID is used to establish the one to many relationship between dwc:Mineral and dwc:MineralName that allows the assignment of multiple names to a single mineral in a specimen
Examples
  • 8fa58e08-08de-4ac1-b69c-1235340b7001
  • https://api.mindat.org/minerals_ima/21
minext:dcterms:language Property
Label Language
Definition Language of the name
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Recommended practice is to use either a non-literal value representing a language from a controlled vocabulary such as ISO 639-2 or ISO 639-3, or a literal value consisting of an IETF Best Current Practice 47 language tag.
Examples
  • en
minext:mineralNamePublishedIn Property
Label Mineral Name Published In
Definition A reference to the publication in which the name is derived, provided as formal citations or URI to an external resources
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Narrower scope than dwc:namePublishedIn
Examples
  • Strunz
  • H. & Nickel
  • E.H. (2001): Strunz mineralogical tables. Schweizerbart
  • Stuttgart
  • 869 p.
  • Gaines
  • R.V.
  • Skinner
  • H.C.
  • Foord
  • E.E.
  • Mason
  • B.
  • Rosenzweig
  • A. (1997): Dana’s new mineralogy. Wiley & Sons
  • New York
  • 1819 p.
minext:classificationCode Property
Label Classification Code
Definition Alphanumeric pattern that adheres to a defined encoding scheme that identifies a particular term in a classification scheme
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Classification codes are specific to a classification system and conform to a xkos:notationPattern
Examples
  • 71.02.02a.01
  • 9.AD.25
minext:nameType Property
Label Name Type
Definition A term belonging a categorization scheme for organizing names based on usage and concept lineage
Term Scope Mineral
Usage Notes Ideally, terms in this field are derived from a enumerated domain. See Gavryliv (2023) for a detailed breakdown of informal, alternate names.
Examples
  • Variety
  • Synonym
  • Classification
  • Historical
  • Group Name
minext:nameRemarks Property
Label Name Remarks
Definition Statements that provide further information on any part of a mineral name, especially information not captured elsewhere in the mineral name class
Term Scope Mineral