91 Examples of Natural Materials

John Spacey, updated on January 25, 2024

Natural materials are naturally occurring types of matter that are useful for producing goods such as buildings, consumer products and crafts. These include organic matter such as wood or wool that come from plants and animals. Natural materials also include inorganic materials such as stones, minerals and metals. The following are common examples of natural materials.

Abaca	Aluminium
Amber	Andesite
Aquamarine	Bamboo
Bark	Basalt
Beeswax	Beryl
Bone	Brass
Bricks	Bronze
Cashmere	Chromium
Clay	Coir
Copper	Cordwood
Cork	Cotton
Diamond	Dolomite
Emerald	Feathers / Down
Flagstone	Flax
Flint	Garnet
Gems	Glass
Gold	Goshenite
Granite	Gravel
Gypsum	Hemp
Iron	Jade
Jadeite	Jute
Lapis Lazuli	Leather
Lime Plaster	Limestone
Malachite	Marble
Meteorite	Mohair
Mother of Pearl	Nickel
Nut Shells	Obsidian
Onyx	Opal
Pearls	Petrified Wood
Pine Cones	Platinum
Pumice	Quartz
Quartzite	Rattan
Rhodonite	Ruby
Sand	Sandstone
Sapphire	Sawdust
Shells	Silk
Silver	Slate
Soapstone	Sodalite
Soft Rush	Soil
Stainless Steel	Steel
Stone	Straw
Tin	Titanium
Topaz	Tourmaline
Tuff Rock	Tungsten
Turquoise	Wood
Wool

Wood

Wood is a plentiful natural material that is strong and workable. It has much tradition of use in construction, furniture making and crafts. There are an estimated 3.04 trillion trees on Earth that could be sustained indefinitely if harvested and managed in a sustainable way.

Natural Fibers

Plant and animal materials that can be used to create textiles and other products such as rope.

Stones

Stones are solid mineral objects of natural origin. These are commonly used in construction, landscaping, crafts and other goods.

Clays, Bricks & Ceramics

Bricks and ceramics are commonly made from natural materials such as clay, sand and shale.

Plant Materials

Plant-based materials beyond wood such as shells, pits and leaves.

Insect Materials

Materials such as dyes, waxes, coatings and fibers produced by insects.

Animal Materials

Animal based materials used for things like clothing, jewelry and crafts.

Discussion

Many natural materials are processed in a way that makes them artificial. For example, engineered wood products that are formed with chemicals such as glue.

Just because a material is natural doesn't mean that it isn't hazardous. For example, asbestos is a natural material that has known hazards.

Natural isn't synonymous with sustainable. For example, the mining process for a natural material can damage the environment. The sustainability of a material requires a look at the details of its entire lifestyle. In some cases, synthetic materials are arguably more sustainable than natural equivalents whereby they could potentially produce less harm over their lifecycle.

Glass naturally occurs as volcanic glass. Manufactured glass products may resemble a natural material in their composition.

Metal alloys such as steel contain multiple metals but are potentially free of chemical additives.

Bricks are manufactured materials that can be composed of natural materials such as sand, clay, lime, iron oxide and magnesia.

Most natural materials undergo heavy processing that resembles manufacturing.

The term natural material is often used to distinguish between products with relatively unprocessed ingredients in contrast to chemicals such as plastic that are pervasive in products and building materials.

The line between natural materials and synthetics isn't always clear. For example, a synthetic fiber that resembles a chemical product that uses mostly natural materials in its formulation.

It is very common for products that aren't at all natural to be marketed as such.

Wood is a primary type of natural material that is abundant and workable with desirable material properties such as strength in tension and compression.

Next: Raw Materials

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