About 30 to 40 species of new minerals are discovered every year. There are certain rules used by the CNMMN to work out if a mineral is indeed a unique species. It must have a natural origin, which can be tricky to determine if there has been human activity in the area. Miners, for example, may discover a substance, but if it has come about because of interaction with non-geologic materials like blasting powder or industrially contaminated water, it would not be considered a mineral. Substances resulting from fire, like those produced in a coal mine, are not usually accepted since it is hard to figure out if the fire was started by humans. However, if a rock is simply exposed by humans, and a new substance is formed from exposure to the atmosphere, it would be classified as a unique species.

The real kryptonite seems to have made it through the formal mineral identification process. It will however not be known as kryptonite for long, since krypton is actually an element in the periodic table and is completely unrelated. The European Journal of Mineralogy has decided to call it Jadarite, after the place where it was discovered in Jadar, Serbia. If a big enough quantity of the mineral is uncovered, it could become an alternative source of lithium, which is commonly used in batteries and certain cleaning products. Otherwise, it will simply be a mineral famous for its link to one of the biggest superheroes in the world….

Natural History Museum - Superman beware, kryptonite is real
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2007/april/news_11392.html

BBC - 'Kryptonite' discovered in mine
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6584229.stm