Every person uses products made from minerals every day. The salt that we add to our food is the mineral halite. Antacid tablets are made from the mineral calcite. Rubies and sapphires are colored varieties of a mineral named corundum.

It takes many minerals to make something as simple as a wooden pencil. The “lead” is made from graphite and clay minerals, the brass band is made of copper and zinc, and the paint that colors it contains pigments and fillers made from a variety of minerals. A cell phone is made using dozens of different minerals that are sourced from mines throughout the world.