Friday, October 8, 2010

Minerals Review

Amphibole
Luster: viteous
Streak: none
Hardness: Scratches glass
Cleavage
Color: black, dark gray

Biotite
Luster: vitreous
Streak: none
Harness: won't scratch glass, breaks into sheets
Cleavage
Color: dark brown, black

Calcite
Luster: glassy
Streak: none
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Cleavage (rhombus)
Color: white, colorless, clear

Cryptocrystalline Quartz
Luster: waxy
Streak: none
Hardness: scratches glass
Conchoidal fracture
Color: banded, darker colors

Galena
Luster: metallic
Streak: dark gray
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Cleavage
Color: silver, gray, black
Gypsum
Luster: dull to glassy
Streak: none
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Cleavage or fracture
Color: white, gray, pink, clear


Halite
Luster: glassy
Streak: none
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Cleavage (cube)
Color: clear, transparent
*Salty taste

Hematite
Luster: dull, earthy
Streak: reddish brown
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Fracture
Color: red, brown, black, dark gray

Kaolonite
Luster: dull
Streak: none
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Fracture
Color: white
*Think chalk or talc

Limonite
Luster: dull, earthy
Streak: orange-brown
Hardness: won't scratch glass
Fracture
Color: yellow, orange, brown, black

Magnetite
Luster: dull to metallic
Streak: black, gray
Hardness: Scratches glass
Cleavage or Fracture
Color: black, dark gray
*Magnetic

Muscovite
Luster: vitreous, glassy
Streak: none
Hardness: won't scratch glass, breaks into sheets
Cleavage
Color: yellow, gold, clear, white

Olivine
Luster: dull to vitreous
Streak: none
Hardness: scratches glass
Fracture
Color: olive green

Plagioclase Feldspar
Luster: pearly, vitreous
Streak: none
Hardness: scratches glass
Cleavage
Color: white, blue-gray, black
*Reddish striations on some samples

Potassium Feldspar
Luster: pearly, vitreous
Streak: none
Hardness: scratches glass
Cleavage
Color: pink, white, green

Pyrite
Luster: metallic
Streak: green-black
Hardness: scratches glass
Fracture
Color: gold, brown

Pyroxene
Luster: dull to vitreous
Streak: none
Hardness: scratches glass
Cleavage
Color: black, dark green, brown
Quartz
Luster: glassy, vitreous
Streak: none
Hardness: scratches glass
Fracture
Color: white, pink, purple

1 comment:

  1. Hello,
    I know this blog is super old, and it's unlikely anyone's going to read this, but I'd like to know if these images are in the public domain, or under what license?
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete