Halite from the Holocene of Canada. (each is ~2 to ~4 mm in size)
<p>A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties.  At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical.  Currently, there are over 5500 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common.  Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry.  Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
</p><p>The halides are the "salt minerals", and have one or more of the following anions: Cl-, F-, I-, Br-.
</p><p>Halite is true salt, which consists of sodium chloride (NaCl).  This is the same chemical long used as flavoring on food &amp; as a preservative.  It has a nonmetallic luster, typically clearish/coloress, and is relatively soft (H = 2.5).  Halite forms cubic crystals and has cubic cleavage (= 3 cleavage planes meeting at 90º angles).  Halite is most readily identified by its strongly salty taste.
</p><p>Halite has economic value.  In addition to its use in food, salt is traditionally used in large quantities in wintertime to prevent roadways from icing up.  Halite is principally mined from ancient rock salt successions.  Rock salt is a chemical sedimentary rock composed of halite and formed by evaporation of seawater.
</p><p>The small masses of halite shown above are from a modern evaporitic lacustrine facies in western Canada.
</p><p>Locality: Grosbeak Lake Salt Flats, south-southwest of the town of Fort Smith, far-northern Alberta Province, western Canada
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<hr><p>Photo gallery of halite:
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www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=1804
James St. John
CC BY 2.0
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