Native element minerals are those elements that occur in nature in uncombined form with a distinct mineral structure. The elemental class includes metals and intermetallic elements, semi-metals and non-metals. This group also includes natural alloys, phosphides, silicides, nitrides and carbides.
There are 32 elements (18 metals, 5 nonmetals and gases) that can be found in nature in their elemental form. Metals give a metallic luster on their polished sides, some nonmetal and semimetal minerals too.
IMA-CNMNC proposes a new hierarchical scheme (Mills et al., 2009). This list uses the Classification of Nickel–Strunz (10 ed, pending publication).
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