Turquoise: Turquoise is a blue-green mineral that is often used in jewelry and as a decorative stone. It is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum, and is known for its unique color and patterns. It can also be found in shades of green, blue, yellow and brown. It is a relatively soft mineral and can be shaped and polished easily.

Celestite: Celestite, also known as celestine, is a mineral that is typically white or gray in color and has a translucent to opaque appearance. It is composed of strontium sulfate, and is often found in association with other evaporite minerals like gypsum and halite. It is relatively soft and fragile, and is often used as a decorative stone or as a specimen for mineral collections.  Celestite is not commonly found in Canada.

Bornite: Bornite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that has a metallic luster and is typically a iridescent bronze-to-copper color when fresh and tarnishes to an iridescent purple when exposed to air. It is an important copper ore mineral, and often forms in hydrothermal veins and disseminated in intrusions. Bornite can be found in some copper mines in Canada, such as the Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia.

Magnesite: Magnesite is a mineral that is composed of magnesium carbonate and is typically white or gray in color. It is relatively soft and can be easily scratched with a nail. It is often used as a source of magnesium and is also used as a decorative stone.

Violane: Violane is an extremely rare violet-blue mineral that is mostly composed of lead, calcium and aluminum silicate. Its luster is glassy and it is translucent to opaque. It is found in complex lead-zinc-silver deposits and also found in association with other minerals such as cerussite and galena.  Violane is not commonly found in Canada.

Labradorite: Labradorite is a plagioclase feldspar mineral that is known for its unique coloration and iridescence, often referred as “Labradorescence”. It usually has a gray, black or brown background color and can show a rainbow of colors in certain lights. Its iridescent colors are created by internal fractures which diffract light, producing the colorful effect.  Labradorite is found in many places in the country, specifically in the provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Kyanite: Kyanite is an aluminum silicate mineral that is known for its blue color, although it can also be found in shades of green, white, and black. It is typically found in metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist and is often associated with other minerals such as sillimanite, andalusite and quartz. It is a relatively hard mineral and is often used as a gemstone, as well as in the production of refractory materials. Kyanite is found in Canada, in the region of Quebec and Ontario, it is not a common mineral in Canada but it is found in association with other minerals in the area.

Feldspar – it is one of the earth’s most abundant minerals – white, grey, blackish grey, pink in colour, it breaks in straight sided pieces at right angles to each other.

 Garnet – small, translucent to transparent 12-sided crystals. Unlike the red gemstone, natural garnets found in the Bancroft area are usually brownish in colour but can be yellow, greenish-brown to black.  Garnet is often used as a gemstone and abrasive.

Hematite – a soft, dark reddish-brown colour, this mineral is mined for its iron ore content.

Mica – black or brown mica crystals can be found in a variety of rocks. It can occur as tiny flakes or in layered masses. The layers split into very thin, transparent sheets.  It is used in a wide range of applications, including cosmetics, insulation, and construction materials.

Rose Quartz – it looks like massive chunks of pink glass. The pink is caused by small amounts of titanium, iron, or manganese.  It is often used as a gemstone and is also believed to have healing properties.

Smoky Quartz – this is quartz which has been exposed to nearby radioactive minerals. It is usually found in large chunks but can be in six-sided crystal shapes. It is often used as a gemstone and is also believed to have grounding and protective properties.

White or Clear Quartz – it comes in large glassy chunks but look for the six-sided crystals with the sides coming to a point at the end of the crystal.  Clear quartz is a transparent variety of quartz that is characterized by its colorless appearance. It is the most common type of quartz and is often used as a gemstone and in the production of glass, ceramics, and electronics.

Barite – Barite is a mineral that is composed of barium sulfate. It has a white or colorless appearance, but can also be found in shades of yellow, brown, red, and gray. Barite is known for its high density and is often used as a weighting agent in drilling muds for the oil and gas industry. In addition, it is also used in the manufacturing of paint, rubber, and plastics. It is found in many parts of the world, including Canada.

Graphite – Graphite is a naturally-occurring form of carbon with a metallic luster and a greasy feel. It is gray to black in color and is often used as a lubricant and as a material in high-temperature applications, such as in the production of steel and in the manufacture of batteries. Graphite is also used as a material in the production of pencils, lubricants, and fuel cells. It is found in many parts of the world, including Canada, mostly in Quebec and Ontario.

Aquamarine – Aquamarine is a pale blue variety of the mineral beryl, and it can be found in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, particularly in British Columbia.
Emerald – Emerald is a green variety of the mineral beryl, and it can be found in British Columbia.

Garnet – Garnet is a group of minerals that come in many different colors, and it can be found in many parts of Canada, particularly in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

Jade – Jade can be found in many parts of Canada, particularly in British Columbia and the Yukon.

Labradorite – Labradorite is a mineral that belongs to the plagioclase feldspar group. It’s a dark-colored mineral that displays a unique optical phenomenon called “labradorescence”, which results in a play of colors that can include blues, greens, yellows, oranges, and reds. Labradorite is often used in jewelry due to its unique appearance.

Labradorite can be found in many parts of the world, but it’s particularly abundant in the Canadian province of Labrador, which is where it gets its name. It can also be found in other parts of Canada, such as Ontario, and other countries like Madagascar, Norway, Finland, and Russia.

Peridot: Peridot is a green variety of the mineral olivine, and is known for its bright and lime green color. It’s a relatively hard mineral, with a rating of 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Peridot is a relatively rare gemstone, but it can be found in some parts of Canada, particularly on Baffin Island and in the Mackenzie Mountains. It’s commonly used in jewelry, particularly in rings and earrings.

Malachite: Malachite is a green mineral that is often found in copper mines, and is formed by the weathering of copper ore. It has a distinctive green color that is caused by the presence of copper, and it often forms in intricate, swirling patterns. Malachite is relatively soft, with a rating of 3.5-4 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, and is mostly used for decorative purposes, such as carvings, and for use as a gemstone for jewelry items.

Azurite: Azurite is a deep blue mineral that is often found in copper mines, and is formed by the weathering of copper ore. It has a distinctive blue color that is caused by the presence of copper. It’s relatively soft, with a rating of 3.5-4 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, and it is mostly used for decorative purposes such as carvings and as a gemstone for jewelry items.

Hematite: Hematite is a mineral that is primarily composed of iron oxide and has a metallic luster. Its color is typically black to steel or silver-gray, brown to reddish brown, or red. Hematite is relatively hard, with a rating of 5-6 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, and is often used as a gemstone, as well as a source of iron.
Citrine: Citrine is a yellow variety of quartz and has a wide range of shades of yellow to orange, it is also known as “Madeira” or “Spanish topaz”. It is relatively hard, with a rating of 7 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, and it’s often used in jewelry and as a decorative stone. Citrine is relatively common, and can be found in many parts of the world, including Canada, particularly in Quebec and Ontario.

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