This page brings together a complete list of 20 minerals that start with the letter K, running alphabetically from “Kainite” to “Kettnerite.” These minerals span a remarkable range, from soft clays and colorful gemstones to rare ores and volcanic rocks. You’ll find familiar names used in ceramics, fertilizers, and jewelry, alongside unusual specimens prized mainly by collectors and researchers. Together they show just how varied the mineral world can be, even within a single letter.
Minerals are naturally occurring solid substances with a defined chemical makeup and an orderly crystal structure. People have valued them for thousands of years, using stones like kaolinite to craft porcelain and treasuring gem varieties such as kunzite for their delicate colors. Some, like kimberlite, even carry diamonds up from deep inside the Earth.
Below you’ll find the table with the mineral names and their descriptions.
Mineral: This lists the official name of each mineral, so you can quickly scan the alphabet and find the specific one you’re looking for.
Description: This gives you a short, plain-language summary of what the mineral is, how it forms, and where you might encounter or use it.
Minerals
Mineral
Kainite
Kaolinite
Kermesite
Kernite
Kyanite
Krennerite
Kornerupine
Kunzite
Kutnohorite
Kimberlite
Kesterite
Kalinite
Kasolite
Kotoite
Kainosite
Keatite
Kovdorskite
Krausite
Kolwezite
Kettnerite
Descriptions
Kainite
A soft potassium-magnesium sulfate-chloride mineral that forms in evaporite deposits. It is mined as a source of potassium and is used in fertilizers.
Kaolinite
A common clay mineral and a key ingredient in porcelain and ceramics. It forms from the weathering of feldspar and is prized for its soft, white texture.
Kermesite
A dark cherry-red antimony oxysulfide mineral that forms as an alteration product of stibnite. It typically appears as delicate needle-like crystals.
Kernite
A colorless to white borate mineral and an important ore of boron. It is famously associated with the borax deposits of California’s Mojave Desert.
Kyanite
A striking blue silicate mineral valued by collectors and used in heat-resistant ceramics. Its hardness varies depending on the direction it is scratched.
Krennerite
A silvery-white gold-silver telluride mineral and a minor ore of gold. It is rare and forms striated, brittle crystals in hydrothermal veins.
Kornerupine
A rare borosilicate gemstone mineral ranging from green to brown. When cut, fine specimens display a cat’s-eye effect prized by collectors.
Kunzite
A pink to lilac gem variety of the mineral spodumene, colored by traces of manganese. It is popular in jewelry but can fade with prolonged sun exposure.
Kutnohorite
A pale pink calcium-manganese carbonate mineral related to dolomite. It often forms in manganese ore deposits and metamorphic rocks.
Kimberlite
A volcanic rock and mineral source famous for hosting diamonds. It forms deep in the Earth’s mantle and rises rapidly to the surface through pipes.
Kesterite
A copper-zinc-tin sulfide mineral studied for use in thin-film solar cells. It is dark gray to black and often associated with tin deposits.
Kalinite
A potassium aluminum sulfate mineral, essentially a natural form of alum. It is soft, water-soluble, and forms in volcanic and shale environments.
Kasolite
A yellow to brownish lead uranium silicate mineral. It forms as a secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of uranium deposits.
Kotoite
A colorless to white magnesium borate mineral found in metamorphosed limestone. It is rare and of interest mainly to mineral collectors.
Kainosite
A rare yttrium-bearing silicate-carbonate mineral, sometimes containing rare-earth elements. It forms small yellowish-brown crystals in pegmatites.
Keatite
A high-pressure form of silica created synthetically and rarely found in nature. It is studied for its unusual crystal structure and properties.
Kovdorskite
A pale blue to pink magnesium phosphate mineral first found in Russia. It is rare and forms attractive crystals sought by collectors.
Krausite
A yellowish potassium-iron sulfate mineral that forms in arid, oxidized deposits. It is rare and typically appears as small tabular crystals.
Kolwezite
A green to dark green copper-cobalt carbonate mineral named after Kolwezi in the Congo. It forms in the oxidized zones of copper-cobalt ores.
Kettnerite
A yellow calcium-bismuth carbonate-fluoride mineral. It is rare and forms small tabular crystals in altered bismuth-bearing deposits.
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