Tag: Rare minerals

Rhenium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust, with an average concentration estimated at just one part per billion (ppb). Due to its extreme scarcity and industrial origins, rhenium is not considered a nutritional element, and a person would not obtain any meaningful amount from their diet.

Zultanite is a unique gemstone variety of the mineral diaspore, and it is exclusively mined in the İlbir Mountains of Muğla Province in southwestern Turkey. This mesmerizing mineral is renowned for its remarkable color-changing properties, which shift from a kiwi green in daylight to a pinkish-champagne under incandescent light. Although the base mineral diaspore is found elsewhere, gem-quality zultanite is only found in Turkey, making it a truly exceptional mineral discovery.

While popular culture often focuses on gold and diamonds, most of the abundant minerals in the Earth's crust, such as silicon and oxygen, are not of commercial value. This brings into focus the common misconception: do all minerals are valuable?