rock-forming mineral
rock-forming mineral, any mineral that forms igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic rocks and that typically, or solely, forms as an intimate part of rock-making processes. In contrast are those minerals that have a limited mode of occurrence or are formed by more unusual processes, such as the ores of metals, vein minerals, and cavity fillings. Also, some precipitates and secondary minerals are not properly classified as rock-forming minerals; these form at a later time than the original rock and tend to destroy its original character. Some mineralogists limit the rock-forming minerals to those that are abundant in a rock and that are usually called essential minerals, a definition implying that they are those most significant in studying the rock-making processes.