| Type | Mineral | Symbol/formula | Uses | Source(s) | Ref |
| Metal ore minerals | Aluminum | Al | Alloys, conductive materials, lightweight applications | Gibbsite (Al(OH)3) and aluminium hydroxide oxide, which are found in laterites. Also Bauxite and Barite | ' |
| Antimony | Sb | Alloys, flame retardation | Stibnite (Sb2S3) | |
| Beryllium | Be | Metal alloys, in the nuclear industry, in electronics | Beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18), found in granitic pegmatites | |
| Bismuth | Bi | Alloys, pharmeceuticals | Native bismuth and bismuthinite (Bi2S3) with sulphide ores | |
| Cesium | Cs | Photoelectrics, pharmaceuticals | Lepidolite (K(Li, Al)3 (Si, Al)4O10 (OH,F)2) from pegmatites | |
| Chromium | Cr | Alloys, electroplating, colouring agents | Chromite (FeCr2O4) from stratiform and podiform chromitites | |
| Cobalt | Co | Alloys, chemical catalysts, cemented carbide | Smaltite (CoAs2) in veins with cobaltite; silver, nickel and calcite; cobaltite (CoAsS) in veins with smaltite, silver, nickel and calcite; carrollite (CuCo2S4) and linnaeite (Co3S4) as constituents of copper ore; and linnaeite | |
| Copper | Cu | Alloys, high conductivity, corrosion resistance | Sulphide minerals, including chalcopyrite (CuFeS2; primary ore mineral) in sulphide deposits, or porphyry copper deposits; covellite (CuS); chalcocite (Cu2S; secondary with other sulphide minerals) with native copper and cuprite deposits and bornite (Cu5FeS4; secondary with other sulphide minerals)Oxidized minerals, including malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2) in the oxidized zone of copper deposits; cuprite (Cu2O; secondary mineral ); and azurite (Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2; secondary) | |
| Gold | Au | Electronics, jewellery, dentistry | Placer deposits, quartz grains | |
| Iron | Fe | Industry use, construction, steel | Hematite (Fe2O3; primary source) in banded iron formations, veins, and igneous rock; magnetite (Fe3O4) in igneous and metamorphic rocks; goethite (FeO(OH); secondary to hematite); limonite (FeO(OH)nH2O; secondary to hematite) | |
| Lead | Pb | Alloys, pigmentation, batteries, corrosion resistance, radiation shielding | Galena (PbS) in veins with other sulphide materials and in pegmatites; cerussite (PbCO3) in oxidized lead zones along with galena | |
| Lithium | Li | Metal production, batteries, ceramics | Spodumene (LiAlSi2O6) in pegmatites Lithium is also extracted in commercially recoverable quantities from subsurface brines. | |
| Manganese | Mn | Steel alloys, chemical manufacturing | Pyrolusite (MnO2) in oxidized manganese zones like laterites and skarns; manganite (MnO(OH)) and braunite (3Mn2O3 MnSiO3) with pyrolusite | |
| Mercury | Hg | Scientific instruments, electrical applications, paint, solvent, pharmaceuticals | Cinnabar (HgS) in sedimentary fractures with other sulphide minerals | |
| Molybdenum | Mo | Alloys, electronics, industry | Molybdenite (MoS2) in porphyry deposits, powellite (CaMoO4) in hydrothermal deposits | |
| Nickel | Ni | Alloys, food and pharmaceutical applications, corrosion resistance | Pentlandite (Fe,Ni)9S8 with other sulphide minerals; garnierite (NiMg) with chromite and in laterites; niccolite (NiAs) in magmatic sulphide deposits | |
| Niobium | Nb | Alloys, corrosion resistance | mw- .mw- (Na,Ca)2Nb2O6(OH,F) and columbite ((FeII,MnII)Nb2O6) in granitic pegmatites | |
| Platinum Group | Pt | Dentistry, jewelry, chemical applications, corrosion resistance, electronics | With chromite and copper ore, in placer deposits; sperrylite (PtAs2) in sulphide deposits and gold veins | |
| Rare-earth elements | La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Sc, Y | Permanent magnets, batteries, glass treatment, petroleum industry, micro-electronics, alloys, nuclear applications, corrosion protection (La and Ce are the most widely applicable) | Bastnäsite (REECO3F; for Ce, La, Pr, Nd) in carbonatites; monazite (REEPO4; for La, Ce, Pr, Nd) in placer deposits; xenotime (YPO4; for Y) in pegmatites; eudialyte (Na15Ca6(Fe,Mn)3Zr3SiO(O,OH,H2O)3(Si3O9)2(Si9O27)2(OH,Cl)2) in igneous rocks; allanite ((REE,Ca,Y)2(Al,Fe2+,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)) in pegmatites and carbonatites | |
| Rhenium | Re | Catalyst, temperature applications | Molybdenite (MoS2) in porphyry deposits | |
| Silver | Ag | Jewellery, glass, photo-electric applications, batteries | Sulfide deposits; Argentite (Ag2S; secondary to copper, lead and zinc ores) | |
| Tin | Sn | Solder, bronze, cans, pewter | Cassiterite (SnO2) in placer and magmatic deposits | |
| Titanium | Ti | Aerospace, industrial tubing | Ilmenite (FeTiO3) and rutile (TiO2) economically sourced from placer deposits with REEs | |
| Tungsten | W | Filaments, electronics, lighting | Wolframite ((Fe,Mn)WO4) and scheelite (CaWO4) in skarns and in porphyry along with sulphide minerals | |
| Uranium | U | Nuclear fuel, ammunition, radiation shielding | Pitchblende (UO2) in uraninite placer deposits; carnotite (K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 3H2O) in placer deposits | |
| Vanadium | V | Alloys, catalysts, glass colouring, batteries | Patronite (VS4) with sulphide minerals; roscoelite (K(V,Al,Mg)2 AlSi3O10(OH)2) in epithermal gold deposits | |
| Zinc | Zn | Corrosion protection, alloys, various industrial compounds | Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S) with other sulphide minerals in vein deposits; smithsonite (ZnCO3) in oxidized zone of zinc bearing sulphide deposits | |
| Zirconium | Zr | Alloys, nuclear reactors, corrosion resistance | Zircon (ZrSiO4) in igneous rocks and in placers | |
| Non-metal ore minerals | Fluorospar | CaF2 | Steelmaking, optical equipment | Hydrothermal veins and pegmatites | |
| Graphite | C | Lubricant, industrial molds, paint | Pegmatites and metamorphic rocks | |
| Gypsum | CaSO42H2O | Fertilizer, filler, cement, pharmaceuticals, textiles | Evaporites; VMS | |
| Diamond | C | Cutting, jewelry | Kimberlites | |
| Feldspar | Fsp | Ceramics, glassmaking, glazes | Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8) and albite (NaAlSi3O8) are ubiquitous throughout Earth's crust | |
