1. formed by natural processes
2. inorganic or not living
3. made up of one element or a combination of elements
4. they are solids
Color, streak color, hardness, cleavage, and chemical.
Some alien races could have mineral based characteristics, if they exist.
A mineral that is useful and economically viable to extract and purify is an ore.
ore,coal
The crystallization
Color is the least reliable of a mineral's characteristics used in its identification.
Mineral characteristics refer to the physical and chemical features that define a mineral, including its crystal structure, composition, color, and hardness. Mineral properties, on the other hand, are specific attributes used to identify and differentiate minerals, such as luster, streak, cleavage, and specific gravity. Characteristics are intrinsic to the mineral itself, while properties are observable and measurable traits used for identification.
In order for a rock to be classified as a mineral, it must possess five characteristics: naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, have a definite chemical composition, and possess a crystalline structure.
Luster
I am awesome
Minerals have to have these five characteristics. The five characteristics are solid, crystal structure, chemical composition, made by nature, and inorganic.Those are five characteristics a mineral are required to have to be a mineral.
Geologists classify silver as a mineral because it is naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, has a specific chemical composition (pure silver, Ag), and possesses a crystalline structure. These characteristics meet the criteria for something to be classified as a mineral.