A SYSTEM OF CODIFICATION FOR UNNAMED MINERALS: REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR UNNAMED MINERALS OF THE IMA COMMISSION ON NEW MINERALS, NOMENCLATURE AND CLASSIFICATION

Abstract

A system of codification that includes the year of publication and qualitative chemical composition has been developed for unnamed minerals reported in the literature. Such minerals are divided into two categories: those regarded as being “valid as unnamed minerals” (1363 in this listing) are those that do not correspond to existing species, have not been reported previously, and whose published descriptions enable them to be recognized if found elsewhere. Unnamed minerals regarded as being “invalid as unnamed minerals” (1460 in this listing) are those whose published descriptions are inadequate for their confident recognition if found elsewhere, or which correspond to existing mineral species or unnamed minerals published previously. Separate lists of unnamed minerals in the two categories, distinguished by different codings, are given as appendices.