What Are Minerals
We rely on minerals in every aspect of our daily lives. Toothpaste, buildings, eyeglasses, computers, automobiles, hospital equipment are but a few of the many things that cannot be made without minerals. Mining is the prime industry in over 150 Canadian communities and directly employs one in 40 Canadians.
What are minerals?
The term “minerals” is defined in different ways depending upon the context.
Geological Context: Geologists consider minerals to be solid, naturally-occurring inorganic substances with definite chemical compositions and physical properties, formed by geologic processes.
Legal Context: Minerals have a broader definition that includes all of the naturally occurring minerals as well as rocks and hydrocarbon resources. That expanded definition means that resources such as petroleum, natural gas, limestone, salt, coal and oil sands are considered to be minerals.
What are metallic and industrial minerals?
For the purpose of mineral agreements and royalties, metallic and industrial minerals are legally defined in Alberta as minerals other than petroleum and natural gas, coal, oil sands, ammonite shell, and surface materials such as sand and gravel.
Metallic and industrial minerals include a diversity of solid minerals including:
o Metallic minerals such as gold, silver, platinum, iron, nickel, lead and zinc,
o Precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires and garnets
o Building stone such as limestone, sandstone and granite, and
o Industrial minerals such as gypsum and salt.
What is ammonite shell?
Ammonite shell in Alberta is the fossilized and mineralized remains of ammonite, a group of marine molluscs that became extinct approximately 65 million years ago. Ammonites are members of the cephalopod class, which includes nautilus, squid, octopus and cuttlefish. Ammonite shells first generated interest among Alberta mineral collectors in the 1970s when some specimens with iridescent red and green colours – developed due to sedimentary mineral alteration – were found in southern Alberta. The coloured shell is now used to produce ammonite shell jewellery, often referred to as ammolite.
