Some minerals, while themselves inconspicuous, serve as useful indicators during prospecting. For example, when barite and pyrite are found, it is a clue that gold veins are nearby.
有些礦物本身雖然不起眼，卻是探勘時的指標，例如探勘到重晶石和黃鐵礦，就表示離黃金礦脈不遠了。