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Why are silicon and silicate minerals important parts of Earth’s crust?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — carbon group element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Silicon and silicate minerals are fundamental components of Earth’s crust primarily due to their extreme abundance and structural stability. On a weight basis, silicon is the second most abundant element in the crust, surpassed only by oxygen.1

The importance of these minerals stems from the following factors:

Structural Foundation: The fundamental building block of all silicate minerals is the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron (SiO₄)⁴⁻. These units are held together by strong, stable bonds that are approximately 50 percent ionic and 50 percent covalent, providing the structural integrity of the terrestrial crust.2
Abundance and Distribution: Silicates constitute the most important mineral class, making up approximately 40 percent of common minerals. Furthermore, igneous rocks, which comprise more than 90 percent of Earth’s crust, are composed almost entirely of silicates.2
Chemical Versatility: Through a process called polymerization, these tetrahedrons can link together in various configurations—such as chains, sheets, or three-dimensional frameworks—allowing for a vast diversity of minerals, including feldspar, olivine, and micas.12