Sodium APEX Mineral

Sodium (Na #11) (Latin: Natrium) is the next element on the periodic table for my APEX mineral collection.  

Sodium starts row 3 (Period  3) on the periodic table.  

Wikipedia Sodium
Sodium Minerals - Most Sodium minerals are ionic compounds (salts).

My APEX mineral definition excludes salts but I couldn't resist.  Sodium Chloride is almost top dog as far as Sodium concentration and there are lots of beautiful cheap sample crystals to collect.

Most people don't realize that Sodium is a metal.  Everybody knows Sodium Chloride is table salt which is safe and edible.  And we certainly don't eat metal do we?  Pure Sodium never exists in nature since it reacts violently with water and other elements.

Sodium compounds are of immense commercial importance, being particularly central to industries producing glass, paper, soap, and textiles.

Salt was used as early as 3000 BC and brine as early as 6000 BC

Sodium is essential to all living organisms.  It is critical to the regulation of fluid balances and acidity.