The oxide class of minerals are very unlike minerals. This group includes minerals that are quite hard and some that are quite soft. All in all, it is a very diverse group, that contains gems, primary minerals, metallic minerals and some very heavy ore minerals. Minerals that are free from water (anhydrous) are relatively hard. The very hard minerals are resistant to weathering because they are oxides. They are not affected by the oxygen in the air. Other oxides form on the surface by weathering and many contain water. These are more likely to be soft. Many oxides are black but others can be very colorful since some minerals like iron, oxidise in different colors and shades. it is thought that Oxygen comprises over 45% of the Earth's crust by weight. All This oxygen is locked up in more complex minerals. Which makes many opportunities for single oxygen ions to combine with various elements in many different ways. Many minerals of the other classes contain oxygen which essentally makes them oxides. But this would be cumbersome for mineralogists. They would have to deal with only four different classes the elements class, the halides class, the sulfides class and finally an extremely large oxides class. This extremely large class would cover over 90% of all known minerals. Therefore, the oxides are limited to non complex minerals containing oxygen or hydroxide. Oxides also contain mostly ionic bonds and this helps distinguish members from the more complex mineral classes whose bonds are typically more covalent in nature. For example Quartz has covalent silicon oxygen bonds and a simular structural similarity to the other Tectosilicates.

Oxides:
Aeschynite (Rare Earth Yttrium Titanium Niobium Oxide Hydroxide)
Anatase (Titanium Oxide)
Bindheimite (Lead Antimony Oxide Hydroxide)
Bixbyite (Manganese Iron Oxide)
Brookite (Titanium Oxide)
Chrysoberyl (Beryllium Aluminum Oxide)
Columbite (Iron Manganese Niobium Tantalum Oxide)
Corundum (Aluminum Oxide)
Cuprite (Copper Oxide)
Euxenite (Rare Earth Yttrium Niobium Tantalum Titanium Oxide)
Fergusonite (Rare Earth Iron Titanium Oxide)
Hausmannite (Manganese Oxide)
Hematite (Iron Oxide) Ice (Hydrogen Oxide)
Ilmenite (Iron Titanium Oxide)
Perovskite (Calcium Titanium Oxide)
Periclase (Magnesium Oxide)
Polycrase (Rare Earth Yttrium Titanium Niobium Tantalum Oxide)
Pseudobrookite (Iron Titanium Oxide)
The Pyrochlore Group:
...........Betafite (Rare Earths Calcium Sodium Uranium Titanium Niobium Tantalum Oxide Hydroxide)
...........Microlite (Calcium Sodium Tantalum Oxide Hydroxide Fluoride)
...........Pyrochlore (Sodium Calcium Niobium Oxide Hydroxide Fluoride)
Ramsdellite (Manganese Oxide)
Romanechite (Hydrated Barium Manganese Oxide)
The Rutile Group:
...........Cassiterite (Tin Oxide)
...........Plattnerite (Lead Oxide)
...........Pyrolusite (Manganese Oxide)
...........Rutile (Titanium Oxide)
...........Stishovite (Silicon Oxide)
Samarskite-(Y) (Rare Earth Yttrium Iron Titanium Oxide)
Senarmontite (Antimony Oxide)
The Spinel Group:
...........Chromite (Iron Chromium Oxide)
...........Franklinite (Zinc Manganese Iron Oxide)
...........Gahnite (Zinc Aluminum Oxide)
...........Magnesiochromite (Magnesium Chromium Oxide)
...........Magnetite (Iron Oxide)
...........Spinel (Magnesium Aluminum Oxide)
Taaffeite (Beryllium Magnesium Aluminum Oxide)
Tantalite (Iron Manganese Tantalum Niobium Oxide)
Tapiolite (Iron Manganese Tantalum Niobium Oxide)
Uraninite (Uranium Oxide)
Valentinite (Antimony Oxide)
Zincite (Zinc Manganese Oxide)

Subclass: Hydroxides:
Brucite (Magnesium Hydroxide)
Gibbsite (Aluminum Hydroxide)
Goethite (Iron Oxide Hydroxide)
Limonite (Hydrated Iron Oxide Hydroxide)
Manganite (Manganese Oxide Hydroxide)
Psilomelane (Barium Manganese Oxide Hydroxide)
Romeite (Calcium Sodium Iron Manganese Antimony Titanium Oxide Hydroxide)
Stetefeldtite (Silver Antimony Oxide Hydroxide)
Stibiconite (Antimony Oxide Hydroxide)

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