How a stone Gets a name

The vast majority of minerals use the suffix -ite. If a mineral ends with -ite it is derived from the Greek "ites" or Latin "lithos" for stone.

The majority of minerals end with -ite but there are other common endings such as -ide and -ine. The actual name of the mineral can depend on a variety of factors.

Ancient stones are more likely to be named based on the location of origin or properties. Minerals named during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries usually were named based on Latin or Greek terms that relate to a specific chemical or physical property.

In recent times, minerals can be named after a variety of things; the location of discovery, mineralogical researchers, the person who first discovered the new mineral, or its chemical or physical properties.

The name of the mineral can be very helpful with useful information, or lack in information. Many mineral names provide details about the colour, crystal form, chemical composition, lustre or other characteristics.

Caysichite is a prime example of a informative name. It is named after its chemical composition (Ca, Y, Si, C, H).

When a person's name is used to name a mineral it provides no information about the actual mineral. An example, Weloganite is named after Sir William Edward LOGAN who was the first director of the Geological Survey of Canada.

Some minerals provide geographical information about the region the mineral was found.