Minerals are found in rocks, soil, water, and even the human body. There are over 3,000 known minerals, but only about 200 are common or widespread. Minerals are classified into eight groups based on their chemical composition. If a mineral is made up of only one type of element, the mineral is referred to as a native element. An example of this is a diamond, which is formed from the element carbon.
Most minerals contain more than one element.
Elements form chemical compounds and usually occur in the form of a regular repeating pattern, or crystal. The shape of a crystal depends on the arrangement of its atoms. However, loose material such as sand, soil, and volcanic ash are also rock. In fact, rock forms the main body of our Earth. Rocks are made of minerals.