This document discusses rock-forming minerals and mineral resources. It defines minerals as naturally occurring inorganic solids with crystalline structures and fixed or varying chemical compositions. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks and undergo geological processes to form rocks. Some rocks contain useful mineral resources like metals that are extracted. Metallic mineral resources include ferrous minerals like iron ore and non-ferrous minerals like gold and copper. Non-metallic mineral resources like coal, clay and salt are associated with sedimentary rocks. Examples of common rock-forming minerals discussed are quartz, pyrite and talc.