The Nesosilicate Subclass
(The Single Tetrahedrons)
A subclass of the Silicates

The simplest of all the silicate subclasses, the Nesosilicates include all silicates where the (SiO4) tetrahedrons are unbonded to other tetrahedrons. In this respect they are similar to other mineral classes such as the sulfates and phosphates. These other classes also have tetrahedral basic ionic units (PO4 & SO4) and thus there are several groups and minerals within them that are similar to the members of the nesosilicates. Nesosilicates, which are sometimes referred to as orthosilicates, have a structure that produces stronger bonds and a closer packing of ions and therefore a higher density, index of refraction and hardness than chemically similar silicates in other subclasses. Consequently, there are more gemstones in the nesosilicates than in any other silicate subclass.

These are the members of the Nesosilicate Subclass:

  • Afwillite (Calcium Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Andalusite (Aluminum Silicate)
  • Beryllite (Hydrated Beyllium Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Bredigite (Calcium Magnesium Silicate)
  • Britholite (Cerium Yttrium Calcium Silicate Phosphate Hydroxide Fluoride)
  • Bultfonteinite (Calcium Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)
  • Cappelenite-(Y) (Barium Yttrium Cerium Boro-Silicate Fluoride)
  • Cerite-(Ce) (Cerium Iron Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Chlorellestadite (Calcium Silicate Phosphate Sulfate Chloride Fluoride)
  • Chloritoid (Iron Magnesium Manganese Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • The Datolite Group:
    • Bakerite (Hydrated Calcium Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Datolite (Calcium Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Gadolinite (Cerium Yttrium Lanthanum Neodymium Iron Beryllium Silicate Oxide)
    • Hingganite (Cerium Yttrium Ytterbium Erbium Beryllium Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Minasgeraisite (Calcium Yttrium Beryllium Silicate Oxide)
    • Yttrocerberysilite (Yttrium Beryllium Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Dumortierite (Aluminum Boro-Silicate Oxide Hydroxide)
  • Ellenbergerite (Magnesium Titanium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Ellestadite (Calcium Silicate Phosphate Sulfate Fluoride Hydroxide Chloride)
  • The Euclase Group:
    • Clinohedrite (Hydrated Calcium Zinc Silicate)
    • Euclase (Beryllium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Gerstmannite (Magnesium Manganese Zinc Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Hodgkinsonite (Manganese Zinc Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Eulytite (Bismuth Silicate)
  • Fluorbritholite-(Ce) (Cerium Lanthanum Sodium Calcium Silicate Phosphate Fluoride)
  • Fluorellestadite (Calcium Silicate Phosphate Sulfate Fluoride Hydroxide Chloride)
  • The Garnet Group:
  • Garrelsite-VIII (Barium Sodium Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Glaucochroite (Calcium Manganese Silicate)
  • Haiweeite [Hydrated Calcium Uranyl Silicate]
  • Hatrurite (Calcium Silicate)
  • Hellandite-(Y) (Calcium Yttrium Aluminum Iron Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Henritermierite (Calcium Manganese Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Holtite (Aluminum Tantalum Antimony Boro-Silicate Oxide Hydroxide)
  • Howlite (Calcium Boro-Silicate Hydroxide)
  • The Humite Group:
    • Alleghanyite (Manganese Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Chondrodite (Magnesium Iron Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
    • Clinohumite (Magnesium Iron Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
    • Humite (Magnesium Iron Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
    • Jerrygibbsite (Manganese Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Leucophoenicite (Manganese Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Manganhumite (Manganese Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Reinhardbraunsite (Calcium Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
    • Ribbeite (Magnesium Iron Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
    • Sonolite (Manganese Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)
  • Huttonite (Thorium Silicate)
  • Hydroxylellestadite (Calcium Silicate Sulfate Hydroxide Fluoride Chloride)
  • Jasmundite (Calcium Silicate Oxide Sulfide)
  • Kanonaite (Manganese Aluminum Silicate)
  • Karnasurtite (Hydrated Cerium Lanthanum Thorium Titanium Niobium Aluminum Silicate Phosphate Hydroxide)
  • Kirschstenite (Calcium Iron Silicate)
  • Kornerupine (Magnesium Aluminium Iron Boro-silicate Hydroxide)
  • Kyanite (Aluminum Silicate)
  • Larnite (Calcium Silicate)
  • Liberite (Lithium Beryllium Silicate)
  • Limoriite (Yttrium Silicate Carbonate)
  • Magnesiochloritoid (Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Malayaite (Calcium Tin Silicate)
  • Mattheddleite (Lead Silicate Sulfate Oxide Chloride)
  • Melanocerite (Hydrated Cerium Calcium Boro-Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)
  • Merwinite (Calcium Magnesium Silicate)
  • Monticellite (Calcium Magnesium Silicate)
  • Mullite (Aluminum Silicate)
  • Nagelschmidtite (Calcium Silicate Phosphate)
  • Norbergite (Magnesium Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
  • Okanoganite-(Y) (Sodium Calcium Yttrium Cerium Boro-Silicate Fluoride)
  • The Olivine Group:
    • Fayalite (Iron Silicate)
    • Forsterite (Magnesium Silicate)
    • Laihunite (Iron Silicate)
    • Liebenbergite (Nickel Magnesium Silicate)
    • Olivine (Magnesium Iron Silicate )
    • Tephroite (Manganese Silicate)
  • Ottrelite (Manganese Iron Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Natisite (Sodium Titanate Silicate)
  • Paranatisite (Sodium Titanate Silicate)
  • The Phenakite Group:
  • Ringwoodite (Magnesium Iron Silicate)
  • Saryarkite (Hydrated Calcium Yttrium Thorium Aluminum Silicate Phosphate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Sillimanite (Aluminum Silicate)
  • Sitinakite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Titanium Niobium Silicate Oxide Hydroxide)
  • Soddyite [Hydrated Uranyl Silicate]
  • Sphene or Titanite (Calcium Titanium Silicate)
  • Spurrite (Calcium Silicate Carbonate)
  • Staurolite (Iron Magnesium Zinc Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Stillwellite (Cerium Lanthanum Calcium Boro-Silicate)
  • Sverigeite (Sodium Manganese Magnesium Tin Beryllium Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Tadzhikite (Calcium Cerium Yttrium Titanium Aluminum Iron Boro-Silicate)
  • Tombarthite (Yttrium Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Topaz (Aluminum Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)
  • Tornebohmite (Cerium Lanthanum Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide)
  • The Trimerite Group:
    • Esperite (Lead Calcium Zinc Silicate)
    • Larsenite (Lead Zinc Silicate)
    • Trimerite (Calcium Manganese Beryllium Silicate)
  • Trimounsite-(Y) (Yttrium Dysprosium Erbium Ytterbium Gadolinium Holmium Terbium Samarium Titanium Silicate)
  • Tritomite (Cerium Yttrium Lanthanum Calcium Thorium Iron Aluminum Boro-Silicate Hydroxide Fluoride)
  • The Uranophane Group:
    • Boltwoodite (Hydrated Potassium Uranyl Silicate)
    • Cuprosklodowskite (Hydrated Copper Uranyl Silicate)
    • Kasolite (Hydrated Lead Uranyl Silicate)
    • Oursinite [Hydrated Cobalt Magnesium Uranyl Silicate]
    • Sklodowskite [Hydrated Magnesium Uranyl Silicate]
    • Sodiumboltwoodite (Hydrated Sodium Potassium Uranyl Silicate)
    • Uranophane (Hydrated Calcium Uranyl Silicate)
  • Uranosilite [Uranium Uranyl Silicate]
  • Vanadomalayaite (Calcium Vanadium Silicate)
  • Vicanite-(Ce) (Calcium Cerium Lanthanum Thorium Arsenic Sodium Iron Boro-Silicate Fluoride)
  • Wadalite (Calcium Aluminum Magnesium Iron Silicate Chloride)
  • Wadsleyite (Magnesium Iron Silicate)
  • Weeksite [Hydrated Potassium Uranyl Silicate]
  • Yftisite (Yttrium Dysprosium Erbium Titanium Tin Silicate Oxide Fluoride Hydroxide)
  • Yoderite (Magnesium Aluminum Iron Silicate Oxide Hydroxide)
  • The Zircon Group:
    • Coffinite (Uranium Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Hafnon (Hafnium Silicate)
    • Thorite (Thorium Uranium Silicate)
    • Thorogummite (Thorium Uranium Silicate Hydroxide)
    • Zircon (Zirconium Silicate)

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Much information for this page provided by the Mineral Database.

Popular Members of the Silicates Class
 

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