Glossary of Terms

Native elements

Group of minerals with a molecular structure of only one element; examples are Copper, Sulfur, and Diamond. Also included in this group are metallic and semi-metallic alloys, which are minerals composed only of two or more metallic or semi-metallic elements of varying percentage; two examples are Iron-Nickel (Fe,Ni) and Stibarsen (As,Sb). The native elements are divided into three groups: The metallic elements, The semi-metallic elements, and the non-metallic elements.