Which common silicate minerals contain silicon?

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Silicate minerals are defined by their structure, which is based on the silicon tetrahedron—a unit where one silicon atom is bonded to four oxygen atoms. These minerals make up approximately 95 percent of Earth’s crust and upper mantle and are the primary constituents of most igneous rocks.1

While there are about 600 known silicate minerals, only a few dozen are significant in rock formation. Common examples include:1