Have you ever eaten breakfast without even knowing you were eating minerals?

Minerals are tiny natural treasures that come from the Earth.

They are all around us.

Even in things we use every day!

Look at your cereal bowl.

Many cereals have iron added to help keep your body strong.

Iron is a mineral!

And when you sprinkle salt on your food…

Guess what?

Salt is a mineral too!

Minerals are in more places than you think.

They are in:

Minerals may be small, but they do BIG jobs in our world.

So what exactly is a mineral?

Scientists have a special checklist.

A mineral must come from nature, be solid, have a crystal structure, and be made of specific chemicals.

If something checks all the boxes…

Then it’s a mineral!

Some things that look like minerals actually are NOT.

For example: Plastic is not natural and Coal is made from plants

But minerals like quartz and gold?

They formed deep inside the Earth over millions of years.

Now let’s meet some amazing minerals!

Fluorite is one colorful mineral!

It can be purple, green, blue, or even clear.

Some fluorite can glow under special lights!

How cool is that?

People use fluorite to help make toothpaste and metal products

Quartz is one of the most common minerals on Earth.

It can be clear like glass or colorful like a purple amethyst.

Quartz is used in watches, electronics, and even countertops in kitchens.

There’s a good chance quartz is in your home right now!

Calcite is the mineral that makes up limestone and marble.

It can be white, clear, or light-colored.

Calcite is important because it helps form caves and beautiful cave crystals.

It is also used to make cement for buildings.

Galena is a shiny, silver-gray mineral.

It is very heavy for its size.

Galena is the main source of lead, a metal used in many products.

Even though it looks cool, scientists handle galena carefully because lead can be harmful.