Mineralization (geology)

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Mineralization in geology is the process that concentrates metals to form ore bodies or lodes inside rocks. This is how valuable metals become available for mining. The term also refers to a fossilization-like process where minerals replace the tissues of a buried, dead organism, turning it into a mineralized fossil. Common minerals involved include calcite, iron oxides (hematite and limonite), and quartz. When a rock gains metal through mineralization, we say it shows iron mineralization or similar. Early studies of mineralization were conducted in Cornwall by W. J. Henwood and later R. W. Fox.