A mineral is a naturally occurring substance with distinctive chemical and physical properties, composition and atomic structure.

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To be more specific, James D. Dana (1813-1895) developed the first widely used mineral classification system and defined a mineral as 'a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties.'

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There is debate whether minerals can be wholly or partly anthropogenic, whether minerals may have biological origins, and whether some mineral-like, non-crystalline materials can be considered as candidates of the recognised mineralogical pantheon.

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Image: Fluorite (USGS)