Minerals are common in vitamin products Iron, manganese, selenium, and calcium all provide day-to-day nutrients that the body needs in order to function. Foods that are full of micronutrients (or vitamins and minerals) can help strengthen cells, fight against harmful viruses, and boost the immune system.

They include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur.

Macrominerals

We break down the top 10 minerals that hold the keys to life in the 21st century.

• Iron ore.
• Silver.
• Gold.
• Cobalt.
• Bauxite.
• Lithium.
• Zinc.
• Potash.

Types of minerals

• Native elements. eg. Gold, Silver, Mercury, graphite, diamond.
• Oxides. eg corundum (incl. sapphire), hematite, spinel.
• Hydroxides. eg. Goethite, brucite.
• Sulfides. eg. Pyrite, galena, sphalerite.
• Sulfates. eg. Baryte, gypsum.
• Carbonates. eg. Calcite, magnesite, dolomite.
• Phosphates. eg. Apatite, monazite.
• Halides. eg.

A mineral is an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes. Examples include quartz, feldspar minerals, calcite, sulfur and the clay minerals such as kaolinite and smectite. Minerals are often used in the production of ceramics.

Broadly, minerals can be classified as metallic and non-metallic minerals. Depending on the chemical composition, metallic minerals can be oxides, sulphides, carbonates, halides etc. But some of the metallic minerals are also found in their pure forms, such as gold.

A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties. Common minerals include quartz, feldspar, mica, amphibole, olivine, and calcite.

Metallic Minerals Examples of metallic minerals are Manganese, iron ore and bauxite are Metallic minerals and be divided into ferrous and non-ferrous metallic minerals. Ferrous minerals are one that contains iron and non-ferrous are one that does not contain iron.

There are several thousand known mineral species, about 100 of which constitute the major mineral components of rocks; these are the so-called rock-forming minerals.

There are over 300 metallic minerals, the majority being sulfides and sulfosalts (60%) followed by oxides (25%) and native elements (10%).

Mineral resources can be divided into two major categories – Metallic and Nonmetallic. Metallic resources are things like Gold, Silver, Tin, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Nickel, Chromium, and Aluminum. Nonmetallic resources are things like sand, gravel, gypsum, halite, Uranium, dimension stone.

Au

Pretty! Gold is primarily used in dentistry because of its superior performance and aesthetic appeal – after all, a rusty iron smile might not look too hot. Gold alloys are also used for fillings, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances because the precious metal is non-allergenic and easy to work with.

Gold is primarily found as the pure, native metal. Sylvanite and calaverite are gold-bearing minerals. Gold is usually found embedded in quartz veins, or placer stream gravel. It is mined in South Africa, the USA (Nevada, Alaska), Russia, Australia and Canada.

Gold is obtained by two principal mining methods; placer and vein mining, and also as a by product of the mining of other metals. Placer mining is used when the metal is found in unconsolidated deposits of sand and gravel from which gold can be easily separated due to its high density.

South Africa

The below-ground stock of gold reserves is currently estimated to be around 50,000 tonnes, according to the US Geological Survey. To put that in perspective, around 190,000 tonnes of gold has been mined in total, although estimates do vary. Based on these rough figures, there is about 20% still to be mined.

United States

The biggest gold investor in the world The largest single owner of gold on the planet is the U.S. government. At last count, Uncle Sam had 8,133.5 tons of gold (260 million ounces) stashed in vaults around the country like Fort Knox, which holds 147.3 million ounces.

6 Best Countries in the World to Buy Gold and Jewellery

1. The Gold Souk, Dubai, UAE. Dubai is world famous for its lavish architecture, high end shopping centres, and The Gold Souk is no exception.
2. Geneva, Switzerland. ​
3. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
4. Paris, France.
5. Marrakech, Morocco.
6. St.

Gold could be far more efficient than cash at storing wealth. Interest rates remain low, meaning that your money in the bank “earns virtually nothing,” reports CNN Money. When you account for inflation, that cash may have actually lost value. Gold is recognized as a having a long-term record of stability.

Gold might be better than cash at preserving wealth over the long term. Interest rates remain low, meaning that your money in the bank “earns virtually nothing,” CNN Money reports. Gold, however, has long been seen as an excellent way to hold something meaningful and diverse over the long run.

Gold is valuable as a private currency. You can use it to avoid government control, because no government controls it. You can use it to “launder” money, an ominous but vague term that can mean bad things or harmless ones. You can use it to make anonymous transactions or transfers and to store your money in secret.