Native Elements: Building Blocks in Pure Form

     Native elements are rare among minerals. Of the 4,600 or so different mineral types out there only about twenty of them are native elements. What is a native element? A "native element" is simply a chemical element (a member of the periodic table) that can be found uncombined in nature. The elements on the periodic table usually link up with other elements to form compounds and to get samples of these elements people usually have to separate them from their compounds (this is actually what is happening when people extract metals from their ores.) However, some elements can be found not combined with any others. These are called “native elements” and they are considered to be minerals.
     The elements gold, silver, copper, lead, platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, iron, mercury, tantalum, tin, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, carbon, and sulfur have all been found as native elements. They have crystal structures like other minerals, but I don’t plan to discuss their appearance. Some of these elements can also be found as native alloys (an alloy is a mixture of metal.) Native iron, for example, quite often contains nickel. The elements osmium and iridium are never found pure in nature, but always as natural alloys. Native iron is seldom found on earth; it’s usually found in meteorites. People in at least three countries have reported finding native zinc, but no one has proven it yet.
     Native elements are rare among minerals. In my opinion they are some of the most interesting minerals on earth. For this reason I am glad that God saw it fit to leave some of His building blocks in pure form for people to find!