What is difference between mineral and ore?

Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids with a crystalline structure and a definite range of chemical formula. Ores are concentrations of minerals in rock that are high enough to be economically extracted for use.

What makes a mineral deposit an ore?

Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit. Ore is extracted from the earth through mining and treated or refined, often via smelting, to extract the valuable metals or minerals.

What are ore deposits associated with?

Ore deposits that are associated with mafic to ultramafic igneous rocks can generally be divided into those where the metals of interest are hosted in oxide minerals and those where the metals of interest are held as sulfides or are strongly associated with sulfides (e.g., PGE alloys, arsenides, bismuthinides).

What are minerals and mineral deposits?

Mineral deposits are naturally occurring accumulations or concentrations of metals or minerals of sufficient size and concentration that might, under favourable circumstances, have economic value. Economic concentrations of metals or other mineral commodities are known as ore.

What defines a mineral deposit?

We define mineral deposits as natural accumulations of minerals in the earth crust, in form of one or several mineral bodies which can be extracted at the present time or in an immediate future. Mineral deposits include several different types related to magmatic, hydrothermal, sedimentary and metamorphic processes.

Where do the minerals in placer deposits come from?

Formation of Placers Placer deposits consist of minerals broken off by weathering from the rocks in which they formed, and subsequently concentrated by gravity aided by a winnowing or sifting process. The source of the mechanical energy required for the sifting includes streams or rivers, ocean waves, wind or glaciers.

What is a mineral deposit?