The Earth's core is constituted of iron and nickel alloyed with lighter elements. In view of their affinity with the metallic phase, their relative high abundance in the solar system and their moderate volatility, a list of potential light elements have been established, including sulfur, silicon and oxygen. We will review the effects of these elements on different aspects of Fe–X high pressure phase diagrams under Earth's core conditions, such as melting temperature depression, solid–liquid partitioning during crystallization, and crystalline structure of the solid phases. Once extrapolated to the inner–outer core boundary, these petrological properties can be used to constrain the Earth's core properties.