Minerals are an economic commodity; they are mined because of the need for a valuable element they contain or an intrinsic property they may have. Other minerals are mined for their beauty and rareness, thus giving many specimens an accepted worldwide value. There are about 3,000 different types of minerals, and new ones are constantly discovered. Most of them are not known to professional mineral collectors, because they are rare, have no economic purpose, and for the most part do
not make good specimens