Native element minerals
Encyclopedia
Native element minerals are those elements that occur in nature in uncombined form with a distinct mineral structure. The elemental class includes metals and intermetallic elements, semi-metals and non-metals. This group also includes natural alloys, phosphides, silicides, nitrides and carbides.
There are 32 elements (18 metals, 5 nonmetals and gases) that can be found in nature in their elemental form. Metals give a metallic luster on their polished sides, some nonmetal
and semimetal minerals too.
-CNMNC proposes a new hierarchical scheme (Mills et al., 2009). This list uses the Classification of Nickel–Strunz
(10 ed, pending publication).
There are 32 elements (18 metals, 5 nonmetals and gases) that can be found in nature in their elemental form. Metals give a metallic luster on their polished sides, some nonmetal
Nonmetal
Nonmetal, or non-metal, is a term used in chemistry when classifying the chemical elements. On the basis of their general physical and chemical properties, every element in the periodic table can be termed either a metal or a nonmetal...
and semimetal minerals too.
Nickel–Strunz Classification -01- Native elements
IMAInternational Mineralogical Association
The International Mineralogical Association is an international group of 38 national societies. The goal is to promote the science of mineralogy and to standardize the nomenclature of the 4000 plus known mineral species...
-CNMNC proposes a new hierarchical scheme (Mills et al., 2009). This list uses the Classification of Nickel–Strunz
Strunz classification
Nickel–Strunz classification is a scheme for categorizing minerals based upon their chemical composition, introduced by German mineralogist Karl Hugo Strunz in his 1941 Mineralogische Tabellen. The 4th edition was edited by Christel Tennyson too . It was followed by A.S...
(10 ed, pending publication).
- Abbreviations:
- "*" - discredited (IMA/CNMNC status).
- "?" - questionable/doubtful (IMA/CNMNC status).
- "REE" - Rare-earth elementRare earth elementAs defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium...
(Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) - "PGE" - Platinum-group elementPlatinum groupThe platinum group metals is a term used sometimes to collectively refer to six metallic elements clustered together in the periodic table.These elements are all transition metals, lying in the d-block .The six...
(Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) - 03.C Aluminofluorides, 06 Borates, 08 Vanadates (04.H V[5,6] Vanadates), 09 Silicates:
- Neso: insular (from GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
νησος nēsos, island) - Soro: grouping (from GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
σωροῦ sōros, heap, mound (especially of corn)) - Cyclo: ring
- Ino: chain (from GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
ις [genitive: ινος inos], fibre) - Phyllo: sheet (from GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
φύλλον phyllon, leaf) - Tekto: three-dimensional framework
- Neso: insular (from Greek
- Nickel–Strunz code scheme: NN.XY.##x
- NN: Nickel–Strunz mineral class number
- X: Nickel–Strunz mineral division letter
- Y: Nickel–Strunz mineral family letter
## x: Nickel–Strunz mineral/group number, x add-on letter
Class: native elements
- 01.A Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
- 01.AA Copper-cupalite family: 05 Native copperNative copperCopper, as native copper, is one of the few metallic elements to occur in uncombined form as a natural mineral, although most commonly occurs in oxidized states and mixed with other elements...
, 05 LeadLeadLead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, 05 Native gold, 05 Native silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, 05 NickelNickelNickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, 05 Aluminum; 10a AuricuprideAuricuprideAuricupride is a natural alloy that combines copper and gold. Its chemical formula is Cu3Au. The alloy crystallizes in the Cubic crystal system and occurs as malleable grains or platey masses. It is an opaque yellow with a reddish tint. It has a hardness of 3.5 and a specific gravity of 11.5.A...
, 10b Tetra-auricupride; 15 Novodneprite, 15 KhatyrkiteKhatyrkiteKhatyrkite is a rare mineral which is mostly composed of copper and aluminium, but might contain up to about 15% of zinc or iron; its chemical structure is described by an approximate formula Al2 or Al2. It was discovered in 1985 in placers derived from serpentine, in association with another...
, 15 Anyuiite; 20 CupaliteCupaliteCupalite is a rare mineral which is mostly composed of copper and aluminium, but might contain up to several percents of zinc or iron; its chemical structure is therefore described by an approximate formula Al or Al. It was discovered in 1985 in placers derived from serpentine, in association with...
, 25 Hunchunite - 01.AB Zinc-brass family (Cu-Zn alloys): 05 CadmiumCadmiumCadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
, 05 ZincZincZinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, 05 TitaniumTitaniumTitanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
*, 05 RheniumRheniumRhenium is a chemical element with the symbol Re and atomic number 75. It is a silvery-white, heavy, third-row transition metal in group 7 of the periodic table. With an average concentration of 1 part per billion , rhenium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust. The free element has...
*; 10a BrassBrassBrass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
*, 10a ZhanghengiteZhanghengiteZhanghengite is a mineral consisting of 80% copper and zinc, 10% iron with the balance made up of chromium and aluminium. Its color is golden yellow. It was discovered in 1986 during the analysis of the Bo Xian meteorite and is named after Zhang Heng, an ancient Chinese astronomer....
, 10b Danbaite, 10b Tongxinite* - 01.AC Indium-tin family: 05 IndiumIndiumIndium is a chemical element with the symbol In and atomic number 49. This rare, very soft, malleable and easily fusible post-transition metal is chemically similar to gallium and thallium, and shows the intermediate properties between these two...
, 10 TinTinTin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
; 15 Yuanjiangite, 15 Sorosite - 01.AD Mercury-amalgam family: 00 AmalgamAmalgam (chemistry)An amalgam is a substance formed by the reaction of mercury with another metal. Almost all metals can form amalgams with mercury, notable exceptions being iron and platinum. Silver-mercury amalgams are important in dentistry, and gold-mercury amalgam is used in the extraction of gold from ore.The...
*, 05 MercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
; 10 Belendorffite, 10 Kolymite; 15a Paraschachnerite, 15a Schachnerite, 15b Luanheite, 15c Eugenite, 15d MoschellandsbergiteMoschellandsbergiteMoschellandsbergite is a rare isometric mineral made up of a silver-white amalgam of mercury and silver with the chemical makeup Ag2Hg3.It was first described in 1938 and named after Moschellandsberg Mountain near Obermoschel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
; 20a Weishanite, 20b Goldamalgam*; 25 Potarite, 30 Leadamalgam - 01.AE Iron-chromium family: 05 KamaciteKamaciteKamacite is a mineral. It is an alloy of iron and nickel, usually in the proportions of 90:10 to 95:5 although impurities such as cobalt or carbon may be present. On the surface of Earth, it occurs naturally only in meteorites. It has a metallic luster, is gray and has no clear cleavage although...
?, 05 IronIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, 05 ChromiumChromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
; 10 AntitaeniteAntitaeniteAntitaenite is a meteoritic metal alloy mineral composed of iron and nickel, 20-40% Ni that has a face centered cubic crystal structure. Its existence as a new mineral species occurring in both iron meteorites and in chondrites was first recognized in 1995. There are three other known Fe-Ni...
*, 10 TaeniteTaeniteTaenite is a mineral found naturally on Earth mostly in iron meteorites. It is an alloy of iron and nickel, with nickel proportions of 20% up to 65%.The name is derived from the Greek for "band". Taenite is a major constituent of iron meteorites...
, 10 Tetrataenite; 15 Chromferide, 15 Wairauite, 15 Ferchromide; 20 AwaruiteAwaruiteAwaruite is a naturally occurring alloy of nickel and iron with a composition from Ni2Fe to Ni3Fe.Awaruite occurs in river placer deposits derived from serpentinized peridotites and ophiolites. It also occurs as a rare component of meteorites...
, 25 Jedwabite - 01.AF Platinum-group elements: 05 OsmiumOsmiumOsmium is a chemical element with the symbol Os and atomic number 76. Osmium is a hard, brittle, blue-gray or blue-blacktransition metal in the platinum family, and is the densest natural element. Osmium is twice as dense as lead. The density of osmium is , slightly greater than that of iridium,...
, 05 Rutheniridosmine, 05 RutheniumRutheniumRuthenium is a chemical element with symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to most chemicals. The Russian scientist Karl Ernst Claus discovered the element...
; 10 PalladiumPalladiumPalladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
, 10 IridiumIridiumIridium is the chemical element with atomic number 77, and is represented by the symbol Ir. A very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum family, iridium is the second-densest element and is the most corrosion-resistant metal, even at temperatures as high as 2000 °C...
, 10 RhodiumRhodiumRhodium is a chemical element that is a rare, silvery-white, hard and chemically inert transition metal and a member of the platinum group. It has the chemical symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is composed of only one isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is found as the free metal, alloyed...
, 10 PlatinumPlatinumPlatinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal... - 01.AG PGE-metal alloys: 05 IMA2008-055, 05 HexaferrumHexaferrumHexaferrum and epsilon iron are synonyms for the hexagonal close-packed phase of iron that is stable only at extremely high pressure. Takahashi and Bassett at the University of Rochester mixed 99.8% pure alpha iron powder with sodium chloride, and pressed a 0.5-mm diameter pellet between the...
; 10 Atokite, 10 Zvyagintsevite, 10 Rustenburgite; 15 Taimyrite, 15 Tatyanaite; 20 Paolovite; 25 Plumbopalladinite, 25 Stannopalladinite; 30 CabriiteCabriiteCabriite is a mineral first found in the eastern Siberian region of Russia and named for the Canadian mineralogist Louis J. Cabri....
; 35 Chengdeite, 35 Isoferroplatinum; 40 Ferronickelplatinum, 40 Tetraferroplatinum, 40 Tulameenite; 45 Hongshiite*, 45 SkaergaarditeSkaergaarditeSkaergaardite is an intermetallic platinum group mineral with the general chemical formula PdCu. The mineral is named after its discovery location: the Skaergaard intrusion, Kangerdlugssuaq area, East Greenland. The mineral name was approved by the International Mineralogical Association in 2003...
; 50 Yixunite, 55 Damiaoite, 60 Niggliite, 65 Bortnikovite, 70 Nielsenite
- 01.AA Copper-cupalite family: 05 Native copper
- 01.B Metallic Carbides, Silicides, Nitrides and Phosphides
- 01.BA Carbides: 05 CoheniteCoheniteCohenite is a naturally occurring iron mineral with the chemical structure 3C. This forms a hard, shiny, silver mineral which was named by E. Weinschenk in 1889 after the German mineralogist Emil Cohen, who first described and analysed it. Cohenite is found in rod-like crystals in iron meteorites...
; 10 Isovite, 10 HaxoniteHaxoniteHaxonite is an iron nickel carbide mineral found in iron meteorites and carbonaceous chondrites. It has a chemical formula of 23C6, crystallises in the cubic crystal system and has a Mohs hardness of 5½ - 6....
; 15 TongbaiteTongbaiteTongbaite is a rare mineral that has the chemical formula Cr3C2, or chromium carbide.It was first described in 1983 for an occurrence in Liu village, Tongbai, Henan Province, China and named for the locality. It occurs in an ultramafic rock deposit. It has also been reported from the Tibet...
; 20 Khamrabaevite, 20 Niobocarbide, 20 Tantalcarbide; 25 Qusongite, 30 Yarlongite - 01.BB Silicides: IMA2007-036; 05 Mavlyanovite, 05 SuessiteSuessiteSuessite is a rare iron silicide mineral with chemical formula: Fe3Si. The mineral was named after Professor Hans E. Suess. It was discovered in 1982 during the chemical analysis of The North Haig olivine pigeonite achondrite . It is a cream white color in reflected light, and ranges in size from 1...
; 10 Perryite, 15 Fersilicite*, 20 Ferdisilicite*, 25 Luobusaite, 30 Gupeiite, 35 HapkeiteHapkeiteHapkeite is a mineral discovered in the Dhofar 280 meteorite found in 2000 in Oman on the Arabian peninsula. The meteorite is believed to originate from the Moon; specifically, it appears to be a fragment of lunar highland breccia. Hapkeite's composition is of silicon and iron, and it is similar to...
, 40 XifengiteXifengiteXifengite is a metallic mineral. The crystal system of Xifengite is hexagonal. It has a specific gravity of 6.45 and a Mohs hardness of 5.5. It occurs as steel gray inclusions within other meteorite derived nickel iron mineral phases.... - 01.BC Nitrides: 05 RoalditeRoalditeRoaldite is a rare meteorite mineral containing iron, nickel and nitrogen .It was first described in 1981 for an occurrence in the Youngedin meteorite, Avon, Western Australia. It was named after Roald Norbach Nielsen , a Danish expert in electron microprobe...
, 10 Siderazot, 15 Carlsbergite, 15 Osbornite - 01.BD Phosphides: 05 SchreibersiteSchreibersiteSchreibersite is generally a rare iron nickel phosphide mineral, 3P, though common in iron-nickel meteorites. It is rarely reported from Earth . Another name used for the mineral is rhabdite. It forms tetragonal crystals with perfect 001 cleavage. Its color ranges from bronze to brass yellow to...
, 05 Nickelphosphide; 10 Barringerite, 10 Monipite; 15 AllabogdaniteAllabogdaniteAllabogdanite is a very rare phosphide mineral with formula 2P, found in 1997 in a meteorite. It was described for an occurrence in the Onello meteorite in the Onello River basin, Sakha Republic; Yakutia, Russia; associated with...
, 15 Florenskyite, 15 Andreyivanovite; 20 Melliniite
- 01.BA Carbides: 05 Cohenite
- 01.C Metalloids and Nonmetals
- 01.CA Arsenic group elements: 05 BismuthBismuthBismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
, 05 AntimonyAntimonyAntimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
, 05 ArsenicArsenicArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, 05 StibarsenStibarsenStibarsen or allemontite is a natural form of arsenic antimonide or antimony arsenide . The name stibarsen is derived from Latin stibium and arsenic, whereas allemonite refers to the locality Allemont in France where the mineral was discovered...
; 10 Arsenolamprite, 10 Pararsenolamprite; 15 Paradocrasite - 01.CB Carbon-silicon family: 05a GraphiteGraphiteThe mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
, 05b ChaoiteChaoiteChaoite or white carbon is a mineral described as an allotrope of carbon whose existence is disputed. It was discovered in shock-fused graphite gneiss from the Ries crater in Bavaria. It has been described as slightly harder than graphite, with a reflection colour of grey to white...
, 05c Fullerite; 10a DiamondDiamondIn mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
, 10b LonsdaleiteLonsdaleiteLonsdaleite , also called hexagonal diamond in reference to the crystal structure, is an allotrope of carbon with a hexagonal lattice. In nature, it forms when meteorites containing graphite strike the Earth. The great heat and stress of the impact transforms the graphite into diamond, but retains...
, 15 SiliconSiliconSilicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table... - 01.CC Sulfur-selenium-iodine: 05 SulfurSulfurSulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
, 05 Rosickyite; 10 Tellurium, 10 SeleniumSeleniumSelenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
- 01.CA Arsenic group elements: 05 Bismuth
- 01.D Nonmetallic Carbides and Nitrides
- 01.DA Nonmetallic carbides: 05 MoissaniteMoissaniteMoissanite originally referred to a rare mineral discovered by Henri Moissan having a chemical formula SiC and various crystalline polymorphs. Earlier, this material had been synthesized in the laboratory and named silicon carbide .- Background :...
- 01.DB Nonmetallic nitrides: 05 Nierite, 10 SinoiteSinoiteSinoite is rare mineral with the chemical formula Si2N2O. It was first found in 1905 in chondrite meteorites and identified as a disntict mineral in 1965. Sinoite crystallizes upon meteorite impact as grains smaller than 0.2 mm surrounded by Fe-Ni alloys and the mineral enstatite...
- 01.DA Nonmetallic carbides: 05 Moissanite
- 01.X Unclassified Strunz Elements (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
- 01.XX Unknown: 00 Hexamolybdenum, 00 TantalumTantalumTantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, the name comes from Tantalus, a character in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion resistant. It is part of the refractory...
*, 00 BrownleeiteBrownleeiteBrownleeite is a silicide mineral with chemical formula MnSi. It was discovered by researchers of the Johnson Space Center in Houston while analyzing the Pi Puppid particle shower of the comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup.- Overview :...
- 01.XX Unknown: 00 Hexamolybdenum, 00 Tantalum