IMA Revises Mineral Nomenclature Rules

In 2026, the IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) released Newsletter 92, which outlines changes to how newly discovered minerals are named and classified.¹

The newsletter lists Ferdinando Bosi, Frédéric Hatert, Marco Pasero, and Stuart J. Mills as authors, and it appeared in volume 38 of the European Journal of Mineralogy on pages 491‑495.¹

These updates aim to standardize terminology across the field and clarify criteria for awarding official names, ensuring consistency among mineralogists worldwide.

By clarifying classification procedures, the guidelines help researchers avoid duplicate or ambiguous names when publishing new species, improving data reliability in repositories such as Mindat and Webmineral.

The commission’s work is part of ongoing efforts by the IMA to keep mineral taxonomy up to date, reflecting new discoveries and scientific consensus.