Minerals are naturally occurring, macroscopically homogeneous components (elements or compounds). They are formed by natural processes with specific chemical composition and internal structure and exhibit specific physicochemical properties. Under certain physicochemical conditions, they are stable and considered as the basic building components of rocks and ores in solid Earth and other celestial bodies, as well as the main components of the skeletal parts of organisms. With few exceptions, minerals are generally crystalline solids and also include naturally occurring noncrystalline solids with a certain chemical composition (mineraloid). As of the end of 2018, 5415 types of minerals have been discovered in nature (Xie et al. 2019).