Rocks and minerals hold precious clues about how Earth formed and evolved over billions of years — but what is the difference between the two? In essence, rocks are aggregates of two or more ...

In general, mineral particles are small, having formed within confined areas such as lava flows or between grains of sediments. Large crystals found in geodes and other rocks are relatively rare.

Minerals, naturally occurring inorganic ... Trust your intuition when choosing crystals. Understanding the differences between crystals, stones, gems, and rocks isn’t just a lesson in semantics.