Original Discussion posted by Zocarik in The writer's group. Link to original post: Link
Reposted with permission from original creator.

Rock farming is a real job in Equestria. By the name, it sounds like it would not make a fortune, yet Trixie was able to buy the Alicorn Amulet with the money she made working there. I hypothesize that the job is so lucrative because they are producing minerals with magical properties rather than conventional rocks.

Pinkie's Pinkieness is because she spent her youth around an over-abundance of minerals with magic properties.

How dumb is my idea? Is there any merit to it? If you do think there is any merit, please come up with a better name than the placeholder names below.

The levels of these minerals in the body of a creature are not the be-all and end-all of magic ability. Talent, training, and natural mana reserves are also major factors.

Alicorn: Found in unicorn horns, high concentrations throughout the body of Alicorns. An alloy of the other magic minerals. As it incorporates all the minerals, it theoretically grants the ability to freely manipulate any alchemical element. Like metal alloys, there are different 'blends' that result in different properties. If a given unicorn has higher concentrations of a specific mineral in their alicorn, it influences them to be better at using magic associated with that mineral's properties. Alicorns (the pony type) produce it as a waste byproduct of their biology, in a similar way to plants producing oxygen as a waste byproduct. It saturates every tissue in their bodies. They use it when channeling their lesser magic, but when they really go all out, they switch to using a different mineral in their bodies that is able to do Uber-tier magic like raising the sun.

Flamium: Tied to the alchemical element of Fire. Found in: Fire Rubies, . Reacts to determination and willpower. Spitfire is abnormal in that she has some of this in her body, resulting in a flaming contrail.

Hydrium: Water. Found in special Sapphires. Pegasai that work with rain and snow have a bit more of this in their bones and feathers than usual.

Gaeium: Earth. Earth ponies and crystal ponies have this in their bodies, evenly distributed throughout except in some odd cases. Maud has oddly high concentrations of it in her hooves, granting incredible strength and striking ability. Rarity has a higher concentration of this in her alicorn, resulting in a connection to the element of earth.

Areotite: Sky. Found in all magic species that fly, it grants them flight, electric resistance, and wind manipulation abilities.

Umbritite: Shadow. Shadow magic is channeled with this. Luna's alicorn has higher concentrations of this.

Lumium: Light.

Metalicite: Metal.

Plantium: Plant.

Dragonite: Alchemically tied to the element of Mind. Found in many gemstones and Crystal Empire. Reacts magically to emotions. The crystal Empire is a natural hot spot for the stuff, and the city/castle/Crystal Heart are all composed of it. Dragons ingest and process this in gemstones. This gives the dragons their emotion fueled biological processes. Named Dragonite because it becomes infused into the bones of dragons and that is where it was first discovered by magic researchers in a pure form.

Patternium: Order.

Shiftium: Chaos

Etherium: This materiel is accepting of any alchemical element. It is the Prime materiel in Alicorns, Draconequui, Tirek, etc. It is vastly more powerful than any of the above. It is only surpassed by the mysterious substance that makes up the Element of Magic's physical form.

The Element of Magic and Twilight. Neither of them has any of the above minerals present in them. The Element is made of a pure substance that is the magic mineral equivalent of the Philosipher's stone. It has impossibly high magic channeling properties. It is capable of overcoming any of the limits of conventional magic. Twilight has no alicorn in her body. Rather, she was engineered through a eugenics program orchestrated by the Element of Magic to have the same materiel as itself in her body.

So? Discuss!