1. Mineral ID

2. Definition Naturally occurring Solid Inorganic Crystalline form
Definite chemical composition
More than 4000 know minerals

3. Mineral Properties Luster Hardness Streak Color Crystal
Cleavage/Fracture
Other

4. Luster - Metallic
Cube – pyrite
Bubbled - hematite

5. Luster - Nonmetallic
Kaolinite – white
Limonite - rust

6. Hardness Test
Scratch a mineral with either another mineral or field test materials. The harder mineral will leave a mark or cut into the softer mineral.
Field Test
Try to scratch with
Fingernail - if so, 2.5
if not,
Copper Penny – if so, 3
Steel Nail – if so, 5
Glass Plate – if so, 5.5
Streak Plate – if so, 7.5
if not, > 7.5

7. Very soft minerals
White – kaolinite – sticks to tougue, feels dry and powdery
Whitish pink – talc – feels smooth
Dark gray – graphic – feels smooth, rubs off on fingers

8. Very hard minerals Clear – diamond
Hexagonal – corundum (red: ruby, blue: sapphire)

9. Streak
Rub the mineral across the porcelain plate. The color left behind is the streak. Nonmetallic minerals and those that have a hardness greater than the streak plate will leave either white or no streak.

10. Cleavage vs. Fracture
Sheets – mica: biotite (black – dark brown) and muscovite (light colored)
Pink – orthoclase feldspar

11. Fracture
Fracture

12. Crystal vs Fracture - Quartz

13. Crystal vs Cleavage - Galena

14. Twinning - Staurolite
 Back

15. Color - Quartz

16. Color - Calcite

17. Other
Crystal (galena) (pyrite) (fluorite) (quartz) Twinning(staurolite)
Fluorescense (fluorite)
HCl Acid Reaction (calcite)
Heft (galena)
Magnetism (magnetite)
Plasticity (mica)
Smell (sulfur)
Sound: actually a reaction to heat expansion (sulfur)
Taste (halite)
Touch (talc) (graphite) (kaolonite)

18. Crystal Shape - Quartz

19. Crystal Shape - Pyrite

20. Crystal Shape - Fluorite

21. Crystal Shape - Wavellite

22. Fluorescent Mineral Gallery

23. HCl reaction

24. Heft
Galena
Barite rose

25. Magnetism

26. Plasticity

27. Smell

28. Sound - Sulfur

29. Touch – feel dusty, slick and soapy
White – kaolinite – sticks to tougue, feels dry and powdery
Whitish pink – talc – feels smooth
Dark gray – graphic – feels smooth, rubs off on fingers

30. Diamond

32. Earth Science Lab ID of an Unknown Mineral ID Key online

33. Rockhounding Arkansas The Science Spot Kid Zone

34. Minerals Make Up Rocks

35. Rocks are made from minerals!