Abstract: The green transformation of mineral resource development and utilization patterns is a necessary trend for global sustainable development, and green minerals, as its core carrier, have emerged accordingly. The background of the concept of green minerals is systematically reviewed, together with its core connotations, main components and international development status. Research shows that the emergence of green minerals is the result of the overlap of global ecological crises, the demand for energy transition, and intensified contradictions in mineral development. Its core is not a newly born concept but a systematic upgrade of global mineral development. It exhibits characteristics such as ecological friendliness, economic synergy, standard compliance, and technology-driven development throughout its entire lifecycle. In green minerals, the green mining industry chain, green product supply chain, and green governance system form the internal logic of “carrier support−value realization−institutional guarantee” as a “trinity”. Currently, the demand for green minerals is experiencing explosive growth. Although there is an expectation for coordinated policy promotion, the guidance in this regard varies among countries; although greenization and intelligence can develop in parallel, all countries currently still face severe challenges such as supply-demand imbalance, geopolitical risks, rising compliance costs, and uneven regional development. Focusing on the core connotation of green minerals, the contemporary development pattern of green minerals is analyzed from a systematic perspective, providing an important reference for relevant policy making and cross-border cooperation in the mineral industry.