| Formation of minerals |
 A mineral is an inorganic, non-living compound of a specific set of elements. These elements form groups of repeating sequences called molecules. When the groups are numerous, they constitute a mineral. How do these elements come together to make minerals? Well, minerals happen whenever rocks are formed since rocks are actually one or more minerals grouped together to form an aggregate.Rocks happen by a number of processes that include igneous activity (molten liquid - magma), metamorphic activity (pre-existing rocks that change under high pressures and/or temperatures) and sedimentary activity (the settling and compaction of fragments/shells). The minerals that make up rocks have a multitude of chemical compositions. The type of mineral or minerals that form depend on the type of process by which the rock comes to be created, on the pre-existing material available for the process and on a myriad of other variables. Because there are so many variables at play, we therefore obtain an extensive mineralogical assortment. To date, over 3,000 minerals have been identified and we are constantly discovering more and more. It is interesting to note, however, that 99% of the earth's crust is made up of only eight elements. These are, in descending order of abundance, oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Crystals grow only as large as the amount of material and space that are available to them. Sometimes, other factors come into play in the formation of minerals and these can produce the very large and very beautiful crystals which geologists, mineral collectors and several industries devotedly search for. One of these factors is as simple as the flow of water. Just as when salt (a mineral) is dissolved in a glass of water, in nature, many minerals go through the same process. As water from rain or rivers seeps into rock cracks, it begins to dissolve the minerals with which it comes in contact. In nature, however, this process takes a very long time. If the glass of salt-water is left on the counter for a long time, the water would eventually evaporate, leaving only the salt behind in the glass. Nature performs the same way. Certain minerals, for example, exist only in small quantities here and there, but when water dissolves the element or mineral, the solution then travels through the cracks in the rocks where it gets concentrated and eventually, large crystals form in the cracks themselves. This explains why many minerals are found in open cavities or vugs. The minerals found at Mont St. Hilaire and at the Francon Quarry were mainly formed by this very process of water flowing through cracks. The water, however, did not come only from rain or rivers. The magma itself held a large quantity of water. Since water is also a mineral, it can be created when rock formations occur. During that process, it picks up many dissolvable materials which are then ready and waiting to be carried away. As the water moved through the cracks in the newly formed rock, it carried the dissolved materials with it. Then, when the water evaporated or withdrew, the beautiful and rare minerals found at these locations came into being. |