1. Silicates:

* Most abundant group of minerals: They make up over 90% of the Earth's crust.

* Basic building block: The fundamental unit of silicates is the silica tetrahedron (SiO4)4-, which consists of one silicon atom bonded to four oxygen atoms.

* Variety of structures: These tetrahedra can link together in different ways, forming chains, sheets, frameworks, and other complex structures. This leads to a wide diversity of silicate minerals.

* Examples: Quartz, feldspar, mica, olivine, pyroxene, amphibole.

2. Non-silicates:

* Diverse group: This group includes all minerals that are not silicates.

* Variety of chemical compositions: Non-silicates encompass a broad range of chemical compositions, including carbonates, oxides, sulfides, sulfates, halides, and native elements.

* Important economic minerals: Many non-silicates are valuable resources, such as iron ore (oxide), limestone (carbonate), and halite (halide).

* Examples: Calcite, halite, pyrite, hematite, magnetite, gold, diamond.

It's important to note that this classification is based on chemical composition. There are other ways to classify minerals, such as by their crystal structure or their physical properties.