Nonminerals

Nonminerals is a term used in geology and material science to categorize substances that do not fit the traditional definition of a mineral. Minerals are typically defined as naturally occurring, solid, inorganic substances with a definite chemical composition and an ordered atomic structure. Nonminerals, therefore, encompass a broad range of materials that deviate from one or more of these criteria.

This category can include organic compounds that are naturally occurring and solid, such as amber or coal, which are derived from biological sources. Similarly, substances that are not crystalline, like volcanic glass (obsidian), are also considered nonminerals because they lack the ordered atomic structure characteristic of minerals. Amorphous solids, which have a disordered arrangement of atoms, fall into this classification.

Materials formed through artificial processes, such as metals smelted from ores or synthetic gemstones, are also nonminerals by definition, as they are not naturally occurring. Furthermore, liquids like water or gases like air are nonminerals because they are not solid. In some contexts, materials that are solid but lack a definite chemical composition or exhibit variable compositions outside of a defined range might also be placed under the nonmineral umbrella, though this can sometimes overlap with the concept of mineraloids, which are mineral-like but lack a crystalline structure. The classification helps to distinguish between the rigid, ordered structures of minerals and the diverse array of other naturally occurring or man-made solid materials.