What is a mineral?
Minerals are naturally occurring, but not organic, chemical compounds that form a well aligned, or crystalline, structure. Minerals make up rocks and many gemstones are found as part of a metamorphic rock. Organic material that has undergone extreme pressure and heat as part of the geologic process called mineralization can be transformed into minerals, such as coal. The color of crystals is dependent on the minerals present. While all gemstones are minerals, not all minerals are gemstones.
