Kern is noted for minerals, including gold, borate, and kernite. These are mined industrially as evaporites, such as borax and kernite. Economically important sources of boron are the minerals colemanite, rasorite (kernite), ulexite and tincal. More recently, kernite is mined in Argentina and Turkey. Kernite is soluble in cold water and alters to tincalconite when it dehydrates. Kernite is used to produce borax which can be used in a variety of soaps.