Mineral Species
IMA Approved Mineral Species
There are currently 6,034 approved mineral species listed on mindat.org.
What is a mineral? (for the longer answer, read this article)
The IMA (International Mineralogical Association) defined it as:
"A mineral is an element or a chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes."
Ernest H. Nickel, IMA CNMNC, 1995
Ernest H. Nickel, IMA CNMNC, 1995
The official list of IMA mineral species is regularly updated and published here.
Searching Minerals
To search for a mineral by name you can use this search box (or the one at the bottom of every page):To search by physical properties, click here, or to search by chemistry click here.
Herkimer County, New York, USA