Introduction to Native Elements

What are Native Elements?

Native element minerals are defined as single-element minerals or naturally occurring metallic alloys. Of the 118 known elements featured on the periodic table, only 19 can occur naturally in a native form. This means they can create a crystal structure without combining with other elements.

Native elements share some characteristics (with exceptions, of course). All native elements are chemically inert or non-reactive. This allows them to create minerals with only one type of atom. The most well-known native elements are gold (Au), silver (Ag), diamond (C), and sulfur (S). 

Historically, native element minerals were the first metals to be worked and mined. Only later did people develop refining techniques for extracting elements from more complex minerals. (Chemically, that means breaking bonds between two or more different atoms to get to one type of atom).

The Native Elements Mineral Class

The native elements mineral class can be divided into three groups:

• Metals 
• Semimetals
• Nonmetals

Metals

The native elements metals group is itself divided into three sub-groups:

• Gold sub-group
• Platinum sub-group 
• Iron sub-group

Gold Sub-Group

The gold sub-group includes not