Statistical analysis of mineral diversity and distribution: Earth's mineralogy is unique

•Earth's 112 known Be minerals conform to a large number of rare events distribution.•This distribution points to the existence of 90 as yet undescribed Be minerals on Earth.•Sixty of the Be mineral species are highly likely to occur on any Earth-like planet.•The probability of duplicating Earth's total mineralogy is calculated to be less than 10−322.•Earth's unique mineralogy underscores the combinatorial richness of the Cosmos.

Earth's mineralogical diversity arises from both deterministic processes and frozen accidents. We apply statistical methods and comprehensive mineralogical databases to investigate chance versus necessity in mineral diversity-distribution relationships. Hundreds of mineral species, including most common rock-forming minerals, distinguish an “Earth-like” planet from other terrestrial bodies. However, most of Earth's ∼5000 mineral species are rare, known from only a few localities. We demonstrate that, in spite of deterministic physical, chemical, and biological factors that control most of our planet's mineral diversity, Earth's mineralogy is unique in the cosmos.