Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
LiveScience
LiveScience
Sascha Pare

What's the difference between a rock and a mineral?

A close-up photo of a rock containing a raw gold nugget in a mine.

Rocks and minerals hold precious clues about how Earth formed and evolved over billions of years — but what is the difference between the two?

In essence, rocks are aggregates of two or more minerals. Minerals, meanwhile, are solids that, with a few exceptions such as diamonds, lack carbon and are arranged in an orderly, repeating "crystal structure." 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.