mineral
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.25|Crystals of serandite, [[natrolite, analcime, and aegirine from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada]]
AI overview
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid substance with a specific chemical composition and an ordered crystal structure, like the colorful crystals shown here from Quebec. Minerals matter because they form the foundation of rocks and soil, provide essential resources we use in construction and technology, and help us understand Earth's geological history.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
42 sectionsContents
- Definitions
- International Mineralogical Association
- Biogenic minerals
- Mineral assemblage
- Rocks, ores, and gems
- Etymology
- Chemistry
- Physical properties
- Crystal structure and habit
- Hardness
- Lustre and diaphaneity
- Colour and streak
- Cleavage, parting, fracture, and tenacity
- Specific gravity
- Other properties
- Classification
- Earliest classifications
- Linnaeus
- Modern classification
- Silicates
- Tectosilicates
- Phyllosilicates
- Inosilicates
- Cyclosilicates
- Sorosilicates
- Orthosilicates
- Non-silicates
- Native elements
- Sulfides
- Oxides
- Halides
- Carbonates
- Sulfates
- Phosphates
- Organic minerals
- Recent advances
- Astrobiology
- See also
- References
- General references
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|upright=1.25|Crystals of serandite, [[natrolite, analcime, and aegirine from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada]]
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.