Banding
It is the presence color zoning lines, or "bands" as it is also known, in some minerals.

Barite
It is a white, yellow or colorless mineral. The chemical formula is BaSO4 and the principal or barium is used in paints, drilling muds and as a filler for paper and textiles. Synonyms: baryte, barytes.

Barren rock
It is the rock which does not contain minerals in sufficient quantities to allow for economically profitable mining.

Basal cleavage
It is a type of cleavage which is exhibited on a horizontal plane of a mineral by the way of its base. Minerals having basal cleavage are sometimes "peeled." One of the example of basal cleavage is the minerals of Mica group.

Basalt rock
It is a volcanic rock.

Base
It is the top and bottom closing points of a crystal. It exists only in those minerals which belong to the hexagonal, orthorhombic, tetragonal, and trigonal crystal systems. It is also called basal pinicoid.

Basic
It describes to an igneous rock which has a relatively low silica content, between 45-52% SiO2. They are relatively rich in iron, magnesium and calcium and is thus included in most mafic rocks.

Batholith
It is a term for the enormous mass of igneous rock which has intruded through a layer of sedimentary rock at great depths.

Bead test
IIt is a complex and scientific test being conducted to identify a mineral. A mineral is first crushed and then mixed into a borax flux and is heated until a glassy bead forms. Next, the bead is touched by the mineral powder and one of the several colors appear on the bead, depending on the metallic elements of the mineral. In most of the cases, the colors are different when it is heated with an oxidizing and reducing flame, as well as when the bead is hot and cold.

Bed
It is a deposit of granular rock which is the result of the erosion of solid rock.

Bedding
It is the horizontal layers of the sedimentary rock which is still unchanged since the sedimentation process.

Bedrock
It is the layer of solid rock which is found underneath the soil.

Beneficiation
It is the process of concentration of valuable components of an ore or any other mineral commodity. It commonly includes the multiple stages like crushing, grinding, washing, screening, flotation, roasting, etc.

Bipyramid
It is a crystal shape in form with a plane which divides a crystal into two different pyramids base to base.

Bitiminous
It is a type of coal which containing naturally occurring tar-like hydrocarbon mineral of indefinite composition. The consistency of bitiminous ranges from a thick liquid to a brittle solid.

Bladed
It is a crystal habit which defines flat, elongated, "knife-like" crystals, like Kyanite.

Blasting
It is technique of breaking of an ore in an underground or open-pit mine.

Blowpipe test
It is complex and scientific test, conducted to identify a mineral. In the process, first a mineral fragment is placed in a cavity on a charcoal block and a horizontal flame is sent towards it using a blowpipe. Different reaction takes place for different mineral. Certain metals have a characteristic color when flamed, some form a bead, others give off fumes, and a few volatilize.

Boghead coal
It is a type of coal which comprises mostly of algal material with fungal matter. (Also see sapropelic)

Borates (group)
It is a group of minerals which are the compounds of one or more metallic elements being combined with the borate radical, B2O3. The group forms further two sub-groups, Hydrous borates and Anhydrous borates.

Borax
It is chemical of industrial use for manufacturing glass and ceramics. It is an anhydrous form of sodium borate, Na₂B₄O₇. There is a mineral borax (Na₂B₄O₇.10H₂O), different from the chemical borax as it contains water. In fact, the mineral borax is an or of the chemical borax.

Breccia
It is a rock which has been broken mechanically, hydraulically or pnewumatically into angular fragments and re-cemented. Adjective: Brecciated.

Brittle
It is a form of tenacity which defines a hammered mineral that results in a fine powder or small crumbs. Brittle minerals leave fine powder when scratched.

Bulk sampling
It is to remove mineral susbstances in substantial quantities, usually above 50 tonnes, to do mineral processing tests.