Phosphates, arsenates, and vanadates are salts of phosphoric, arsenic, or vanadic acid. The minerals of this class are numerous, but most are very rare in nature. They are structurally related to each other, which results in frequent similarities in their crystal forms and the formation of isomorphic series.

The most widespread minerals of this class are those from the apatite group. Other notable representatives include monazite, xenotime, pyromorphite, vivianite, ludlamite, lazulite, turquoise, erythrite, vanadinite, and the group of uranium minerals: autunite and torbernite.

This class also includes minerals like barićite and marićite, discovered in the 1970s and named after famous Croatian scientists Professor Ljudevit Barić and Academician Luka Marić, who were part of the world-renowned Zagreb mineralogical school.