Glauconite forms by three principal processes: alteration of the fecal pellets of bottom-dwelling organisms; modification of particles of illitic and biotitic clays by seawater; and direct precipitation from seawater. Particles of glauconite are generally sand-sized or finer.

What are the ingredients in glauconite?

It is a silty-clayed sedimentary rock, laminated, bluish-green, composed of glauconite (40-80%), potassium feldspar (10-15%), quartz (10-60%), muscovite (5%) and minor quantities of biotite (2%), goethite (<1%), titanium and manganese oxides (<1%), barium phosphate and rare-earth element phosphates (<1%).

How is green sand mined?

Greensand is a naturally occurring mineral mined from ocean deposits from a sedimentary rock known as "Glauconite". It is often an olive-green colored sandstone rock found in layers in many sedimentary rock formations.