<P> A mineral is a naturally occurring chemical compound, usually of crystalline form and not produced by life processes . A mineral has one specific chemical composition, whereas a rock can be an aggregate of different minerals or mineraloids . The study of minerals is called mineralogy . </P> <P> As of March 2018, there are more than 5,500 known mineral species; 5,312 of these have been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). </P>

Any naturally occurring inorganic crystalline substance with a fairly definite chemical composition