Editing Mineralogy (section)

==Uses==

Minerals are essential to various needs within human society, such as minerals used as [[ore]]s for essential components of metal products used in various commercial [[Product (business)|products]] and [[machinery]], essential components to building materials such as [[limestone]], [[marble]], [[granite]], [[gravel]], [[glass]], [[plaster]], [[cement]], etc.<ref name=ramsdell>{{cite encyclopedia|first1=Alfred J. |last1=Moses |editor1-last=Ramsdell |editor1-first=Lewis S. |year=1918–1920 |title=Mineralogy |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Americana]]: International Edition |volume=19 |location=New York |publisher=Americana Corporation |pages=164–168|ref={{harvid|Moses|1918}}}}</ref> Minerals are also used in [[fertilizer]]s to enrich the growth of [[agricultural]] crops.

[[File:Mineralogy.jpg|thumb|A small collection of mineral samples, with cases. Labels in Russian.]]
===Collecting===

[[Mineral collecting]] is also a recreational study and collection [[hobby]], with clubs and societies representing the field.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.minsocam.org/MSA/collectors_corner/index.htm |title=Collector's Corner |publisher=The Mineralogical Society of America |access-date=2010-05-22 |archive-date=2010-06-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619062955/http://minsocam.org/MSA/collectors_corner/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amfed.org/ |title=The American Federation of Mineral Societies |access-date=2010-05-22 |archive-date=2017-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722052926/http://www.amfed.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Museums, such as the [[Smithsonian]] [[National Museum of Natural History#Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals|National Museum of Natural History Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals]], the [[Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County]], the [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History]], the [[Natural History Museum, London]], and the private [[Mim Museum|Mim Mineral Museum]] in [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]],<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Wilson | first1 = W | year = 2013 | title = The Opening of the Mim Mineral Museum in Beirut, Lebanon | journal = The Mineralogical Record | volume = 45 | issue = 1| pages = 61–83 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Lyckberg|title=The MIM Museum opening, Lebanon|date=16 October 2013|publisher=Mindat.org|url=http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1807/The+MIM+Museum+opening,+Lebanon|access-date=19 October 2017|archive-date=26 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026010621/http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1807/The+MIM+Museum+opening,+Lebanon|url-status=live}}</ref> have popular collections of mineral specimens on permanent display.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/gems-minerals |title=Gems and Minerals |publisher=Natural History Museum of Los Angeles |access-date=2010-05-22 |archive-date=2010-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531021208/http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/gems-minerals |url-status=live }}</ref>