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JensAypa t1_j9knm2p wrote

Wikipedia : "a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form".

So artificial solids (plastic, steel...), or solids coming from living organisms (wood, coal), are - most of the time - not minerals. And rocks are generally a bunch of different minerals stuck together.

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Unhappy_Kumquat t1_j9kqlba wrote

Which is also why, by definition, ice is a mineral, unless it comes from a freezer.

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breckenridgeback t1_j9kp4od wrote

Notably, though, this is a definition of convenience, since man-made materials absolutely can show the same properties that natural minerals do, and be studied with some of the same tools.

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