Minerals Minerals are natural compounds or elements of inorganic nature. There are 92 naturally occuring elements that have specific physical properties, definite chemical composition, and characteristic atomic structure. You can also find between 2,000 to 2,500 minerals in the earths crust. Minerals are formed in a positive response to their environment, most of them to deep for an observer. Environments in which minerals are formed far beneath the earths surface are plutonic igneous, pegmatitic, hot temperature vein, moderate temp. vein, low temp. vein, and a metamorphic environment. Environments in which minerals