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Minerals are truly a marvel. Defined as a class of naturally occurring substances (typically inorganic) with a crystalline chemical structure, their composition, growth habits, and color vary greatly. They are so important to the Earth’s formation and the evolution of life on Earth. Not only can they help us understand the Earth’s history, but they can also help us model exoplanetary structures (shout out to June!). Minerals help the human body develop healthily. They make strong bones, transmit nerve impulses, make hormones, help keep a normal heartbeat, and so much more. They are used in jewelry and have historically been mined for their beauty and their industrial use. Their physical and chemical properties are employed in industrial uses including paints and coatings, papermaking, rubber, adhesives and sealants, plastics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural pesticides, ceramics and glass, and numerous commercial mineral products. You can find them almost anywhere you look. From pots and pans to makeup to fruit juice to baby powder to cakes and bread, minerals are truly indispensable from life on Earth. Different people appreciate minerals for various reasons, such as their appearance, their physical and chemical properties, or even their ~healing powers~ (ha!). In this blog, we hope that you are able to see what minerals mean to us and can begin to understand what they mean to you.