The International Mineralogical Association  (IMA) is an international group of 40 national societies with the aim of promoting the science of mineralogy. The most active IMA commission is the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC), which is tasked with standardizing the nomenclature of the more than 5000 known mineral species. It does so by approving new mineral names, revising existing names and assessing the discreditation of invalid species. A list of IMA-approved mineral species can be found on the RRUFF website .

Mindat.org  is the world’s largest open-source database of minerals, rocks, meteorites and the localities they come from. It contains descriptions for nearly 5700 mineral species, 373 000 occurrences, 1 122 000 photos, as well as articles and a comprehensive glossary.

Type localities are those where a new mineral species is described for the first times. An updated list of mineral species that have a type locality in Western Australia is being compiled. A type specimen is the reference sample used to define the new mineral.