Around 2000 different species of minerals have been identified in nature. Some of them are extremely uncommon, while others are hugely well-liked. The Earth’s crust is made up of only a little over thirty of these rocks.
These minerals can be distinguished by a variety of chemical components that make them up. Minerals are divided into the following classes based on their chemical makeup.
Only 8% of the minerals that make up the Earth are not silicates, making them extremely significant. These minerals can bind with aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium and are always composed of silicon and oxygen.
The mineral olivine, which is composed of silicon, magnesium, and iron, has a very compact and solid structure and is found in the Earth’s lowest layers. This group includes feldspars (such as orthoclase and plagioclase), quartz, mica, clay minerals, and asbestos.
Calcite, a calcium carbonate that creates calcareous rocks, and dolomite, a calcium and magnesium carbonate that makes dolomite rocks, are the two significant minerals that make up the group of carbonates. In water, these minerals and the rocks they correspond to melt, creating dolomitic mountain ranges and karstic landscapes.
Chalk or rock salt is produced when sea or lake water evaporates under specific environmental circumstances (kitchen salt). This is the category for salts and sulfates.
Oxides and hydroxides are created when oxygen interacts with other elements, including iron. Examples include magnetite, limonite, and haematite, which produce yellow-reddish rocks and serve as the primary iron source for the mining industry.
Sulfides, or minerals like pyrite that contain both sulfur and iron, are another type of significant mineral deposit. Chalcopyrite is produced when iron, copper, and sulfur are combined. Galena is made of sulfur and lead, while cinnabar is made of sulfur and mercury.
Deposits made of only one element include gold, silver, and copper. They are known as native elements for this reason. Although both diamond and graphite are made entirely of carbon, as is stated in the accompanying paragraph, they differ from a commercial and crystal structure standpoint.
