This page brings together 11 minerals whose names start with the letter F, running alphabetically from “Fayalite” to “Franklinite.” These minerals form in many different rocks and environments, from volcanic flows to soils and ancient sea beds. They range in color and hardness, and many of them serve practical roles, including making glass and ceramics, supplying metals like tungsten and zinc, and even protecting your teeth.
Minerals are naturally occurring solid substances with a defined chemical makeup and an orderly internal structure. People have valued them for thousands of years, using bright fluorite, for example, to carve cups and ornaments long before anyone understood its chemistry. Today they shape everything from jewelry to industry.
Below you’ll find the table with the mineral names and their descriptions.
Mineral: The common name of each mineral, listed in alphabetical order, so you can quickly find the one you’re looking for and learn how it’s spelled.
Description: A short, plain-language summary of each mineral, telling you what it looks like, where it forms, and how people use it in everyday life.
Minerals
Mineral
Fayalite
Feldspar
Ferberite
Fergusonite
Ferrihydrite
Fersmanite
Fluorapatite
Fluorite
Forsterite
Foshagite
Franklinite
Descriptions
Fayalite
An iron-rich member of the olivine group, fayalite forms in iron-rich igneous and metamorphic rocks. Its glassy greenish to brownish crystals make it a key indicator of certain volcanic and slag environments.
Feldspar
The most abundant mineral group in Earth’s crust, feldspars make up much of granite and many other rocks. They range from white to pink and are widely used in glass and ceramics.
Ferberite
A dark, heavy iron-tungsten mineral and the iron-rich end of the wolframite series. It is an important ore of tungsten, prized for hardening steel and making lamp filaments.
Fergusonite
A rare brownish to black mineral containing niobium, yttrium, and rare-earth elements. It is sometimes radioactive and is studied as a potential source of valuable rare metals.
Ferrihydrite
A poorly crystalline, reddish-brown iron oxide mineral that forms in soils, sediments, and water. It plays an important role in trapping nutrients and pollutants in the environment.
Fersmanite
A rare titanium-bearing silicate mineral, brownish in color, found in alkaline igneous rocks. It is named after the Russian mineralogist Alexander Fersman.
Fluorapatite
A common phosphate mineral and the main component of tooth enamel and bone. Rich in fluorine, it occurs in many colors and is a major source of phosphate for fertilizers.
Fluorite
A colorful mineral famous for its glassy cubes that come in purple, green, blue, and yellow. It glows under ultraviolet light, giving rise to the word “fluorescence.”
Forsterite
The magnesium-rich end of the olivine group, forsterite forms greenish crystals in igneous rocks and meteorites. Gem-quality forsterite is known as peridot.
Foshagite
A rare white to pale calcium silicate mineral that often forms fibrous or needle-like crystals. It is found in contact metamorphic rocks where limestone meets hot igneous material.
Franklinite
A black, magnetic iron-zinc-manganese oxide mineral best known from Franklin, New Jersey. It is an important zinc ore and often occurs alongside fluorescent minerals.
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