Which of the following is NOT listed as a mineral classification?

• A. Sulfides
• B. Metalloids
• C. Native Elements
• D. Silicates

Answer: (B)

Mineral classifications group minerals by their chemical makeup and how their structures are built. The common classes include silicates, sulfides, and native elements, among others. Silicates form a huge family based on silicon-oxygen frameworks, sulfides are minerals that combine sulfur with metals, and native elements are minerals made of a single element, like gold or diamond. Metalloids describe a set of elements that have properties between metals and nonmetals (for example, silicon and arsenic). This is a way to categorize elements, not minerals, so it doesn’t line up as a mineral classification. That’s why metalloids isn’t listed as a mineral class.