Mineral ID chart - The Happy Scientist

Common Mineral Identification Chart

Streak Hardness Cleavage/ Fracture

Other Properties

Scratched Black by

fingernail

Scratched by penny

Black

1

1-Cleavage Greasy feel,

writes on paper

2.5 3-Cubic

Bright silver, heavy

Cleavage

Metallic

Won't scratch

Gray to Black

3

Rough

Fracture

Luster glass

Greenish 3.5 Rough

Black

Fracture

"Peacock ore" Bronze color tarnishes to bright blues and purples.

Softer and darker yellow than pyrite.

Uses

Mineral

Pencil "lead", steel Graphite making, lubricant

Lead ore

Galena

Copper ore

Bornite

Copper ore

Chalcopyrite

Will

Greenish

6

Rough

"Fools Gold", Brassy yellow.

scratch Black

Fracture

Often forms cubic crystals

glass

Black

6

Rough

"Lode Stone", Magnetic.

Fracture

Production of sulfuric acid

Iron ore

Pyrite Magnetite

Rust Red

6

Rough Fracture

Can also be nonmetallic. Color Iron ore, jewelry ranges from bright silver to brick

Hematite

red.

Copyright ? 2011 Robert Krampf. All Rights Reserved.



Streak

Scratched by fingernail

White

Yellow Brown

NonMetallic Luster

White White White

Hardness Cleavage/ Fracture

1

1-Cleavage

Other Properties

Earthy or pearly luster. Soapy feel.

1 to 5.5 Earthy Fracture

2

1-Good

Cleavage

2.5 3-Cubic Cleavage

2

1-Perfect

Cleavage

Earthy luster, yellow to almost black. Technically not a mineral, as it lacks a crystalline structure. Vitreous to earthy luster

Dissolves in water, salty taste

Peels apart in thin, transparent sheets

Uses Baby powder, paints, ceramics Iron ore

Plaster

table salt

Insulation

Scratched by penny

White White

3

3-Perfect Vitreous luster. Breaks into

Cement

Cleavage rhombohedrons. Fizzes in dilute

HCl.

3

1-Cleavage Heavy,

Paints, oil drilling lubricant

Won't scratch glass

Yellow White

White

3.5 6-Cleavage Resinous luster,

Zinc ore

4

4-Cleavage Vitreous luster, commonly purple, Fluorine for

green, yellow, or clear.

toothpaste, Steel

making

5

Fracture

Vitreous or earthy luster,

Phosphate for fertilizer

Mineral Talc Limonite Gypsum Halite Muscovite Calcite Barite Sphalerite Fluorite Apatite

Copyright ? 2011 Robert Krampf. All Rights Reserved.



Will scratch glass

NonMetallic Luster

Streak None

Hardness Cleavage/ Fracture

6

2 Good

Cleavage

Other Properties Smooth cleavage planes

Uses

ceramics, porcelain

None

6

2 Good

Striations on cleavage planes

ceramics

Cleavage

None

6 - 7.5 Uneven Fracture

Vitreous to resinous luster

Abrasives, gemstone

None

7

Conchoidal Vitreous luster, six sided crystals, glass, source of

Fracture

silicon

None None

7

Uneven

Vitreous luster, crystals have

Fracture

strong striations running

lengthwise.

gemstone

7

Uneven

Often forms cross shaped crystal jewelry

Fracture

twins

Mineral Orthoclase Plagioclase Garnet Quartz Tourmaline Staurolite

Copyright ? 2011 Robert Krampf. All Rights Reserved.



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