Clay minerals are found in various
proportions to produce the great diversity
of clays in nature. The mixture of elements
accounts for the various colors of the clays
created by the predominant mineral contained in it.

Clay is a plentiful material: any soil sample may contain
a few clay particles. Clay's mineral properties establish
the size of the clay particle. Clay minerals are silicate crystals that are so fine-grained they're really micro crystals, meaning that they're easily absorbed by the human body.

In general, clays contain about fifteen minerals, and many more trace minerals. In the basic fifteen minerals, a typical element such as magnesium may be the dominant component. It can be replaced by aluminum or possibly iron, or any single mineral substance since it becomes an active or "rotating" ion, which creates an energy field around it. This occurs as the molecules of a single mineral break into its simpler constituents, or as two interacting minerals exchange a portion of their constituents.

Any of the basic groups may be replaced by another substance until the mineral structure is essentially balanced electrically. The extent to which the clay mineral ions become active determines the clay's classification as "living clay." This may be accomplished by the addition of a molecule of water if the clay mineral has been created in such a way as to contain a charge. Living clays have not been chemically treated in any way.