Silicates & Quartz
Nesosilicate
What it is
The simplest silicate structure — isolated SiO₄ tetrahedra not linked to each other. Garnets and olivine (peridot) are nesosilicates. The isolated tetrahedra create very hard, dense minerals.
How it forms
Forms in high-temperature igneous and metamorphic rocks. The isolated structure makes these minerals resistant to weathering.
Isolated SiO₄ tetrahedra
