METALLIC TO SUBMETALLIC MINERALS

FRACTURE
CLEAVAGE

STREAK

COLOR

yellow
or
brown
white,
yellow,
or brown

yellow,
brown,
black
white, red
yellow, brown,
green, black
dark green,
dark brown,
or black
black,
silver,
or gray

CLEAVAGE
colorless

black

black

reddish

black

brassy yellow
red -brown,
black,
silver
black
or
silver

HARDNESS

6 - 6.5

FRACTURE
CLEAVAGE
one
direction
indistinct
perfect
cleavage in
6 directions
perfect
cleavage in
one direction
cleavage
sometimes
indistinct
conchoidal
fracture

5 - 6.5

fracture

fracture

5 - 5.5

3.5 - 4

2.5 - 3

1-2

LUSTER

DIAPHANEITY

submetallic

translucent

submetallic

translucent

submetallic

translucent

metallic
or
submetallic

opaque

metallic

opaque

metallic
or
submetallic
metallic
or
submetallic

SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

MINERAL
NAME

3.3 -4.3

GOETHITE

3.9 - 4.1

SPHALERITE

2.8 - 3.2

BIOTITE

2.23

GRAPHITE

5.02

PYRITE

5.56

HEMATITE

opaque

OTHER
PROPERTIES
silky,
fibrous
appearance
brittle,
looks like
resin
thin flakes,
tough,
flexible
marks paper,
soils fingers,
slippery
sometimes
in crystal
shapes
sometimes
oolitic or
magnetic
strongly
magnetic

5.18

MAGNETITE

opaque

FRACTURE
black

brownish

fracture

metallic

opaque

weakly magnetic

4.58 - 4.65

PYRRHOTITE

greenish
black

brassy yellow

3.5 - 4

fracture

metallic

opaque

brittle

4.1 - 4.3

CHALCOPYRITE

brassy with
iridescent
colors

indistinct
cleavage

metallic

opaque

iridescent
peacock
colors

5.0 -5.1

BORNITE

black

By: Art Crossman

http://geology.com/

Mineralogy / Petrology (1997)

NONMETALLIC MINERALS
HARDNESS (7 - 4)
STREAK

COLOR

white
or
colorless
white
or
colorless
white
or
colorless
white
or
colorless

green
to
black
white, gray,
pink, clear,
green, yellow
white, gray
clear, blue
green
colorless,
gray,
white
green, gray
brown,
black
brown,
dark green,
black
yellow,
brown,
or black
green, brown
yellow, pink
violet, etc.
greenish,
yellowish,
black
white, red
yellow, brown
green, black
pink, white
gray,
and others

greenish
CLEAVAGE
colorless
yellow
or
brown
white
white
to
gray
white,
yellow,
or brown
white

http://geology.com/

HARDNESS

6-7

6 - 6.5

5.5 - 6

5 - 5.5

5-6

5 - 5.5

3-5

3.5 - 4

3.5 - 4

FRACTURE
CLEAVAGE
one
direction
indistinct
two
directions
at 90 degrees
two
directions
at 90 degrees
one
direction
indistinct
two directions
intersects at
90 degrees
two directions
intersects at
56 & 124 degrees
one
direction
indistinct
poor
cleavage in
one direction
one
direction
indistinct
perfect
cleavage in
6 directions
3 direction,
rhombic
indistinct

LUSTER

DIAPHANEITY

vitreous - dull

transparent,
transluscent

vitreous

transparent,
transluscent

vitreous

transparent,
transluscent

greasy vitreous

transparent,
transluscent

vitreous
to
dull

transluscent

vitreous

transluscent

dull to
admantine

transluscent

vitreous

transparent,
transluscent

greasy
to
waxy
resinous
to
adamantine
vitreous
pearly

transparent,
transluscent

transluscent
transparent,
transluscent

OTHER
PROPERTIES
typically
pistachio
green
few if
any
striations
striations
on cleavage
faces
softer than
quartz,
cleavage

SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

MINERAL
NAME

3.35 -3.4

EPIDOTE

2.5 - 2.6

ORTHOCLASE

2.6 -2.8

PLAGIOCLASE

2.6 - 2.65

NEPHELINE

brittle

3.2 - 3.6

AUGITE

3.0 - 3.4

HORNBLENDE

3.3 - 4.3

GOETHITE

3.1 - 3.2

APATITE

2.3

SERPENTINE

3.9 - 4.1

SPHALERITE

2.85

DOLOMITE

appears
fibrous
or silky
appears
fibrous
or silky
brittle,
fractured
masses
varigated,
sometimes
fibrous
brittle,
looks like
resin
HCl fizz
only with
powder

NONMETALLIC MINERALS
HARDNESS (4 - 1)
STREAK

white

white

white

colorless

CLEAVAGE

colorless
to
white
gray
to
green
colorless

white

white

white

white

http://geology.com/

COLOR
any color
clear, yellow
purple, blue
white, gray
red, brown
clear, etc.
white, gray
green, yellow
clear, etc.
dark green
dark brown
or black
yellow to
brown in
thin sheets
greenish,
gray,
black
clear, white
yellowish,
silvery, etc.
white,
gray,
yellowish
white, gray
blue, red
clear
white, gray
brown, red
clear & others
green, gray
white, silver
& other colors

HARDNESS

3 - 3.5

2.5 - 3

2.5 - 3

2 - 2.5

2 - 2.5

2 - 2.5

2 - 2.5

1.5 - 2

FRACTURE
CLEAVAGE
perfect
four
directions
perfect
3 directions
small faces
perfect
3 directions,
"rhombic"
perfect
cleavage in
one direction
perfect
in
one direction
perfect in
one direction
indistinct
perfect
cleavage in
one direction
one direction
but usually
indistinct
perfect
3 directions
at 90 degrees
perfect in
one direction
2 indistinct
one direction
but usually
indistinct

LUSTER

DIAPHANEITY

vitreous

transparent,
transluscent

vitreous- pearly

transparent,
transluscent

vitreous- pearly

transparent,
transluscent

nonmetallic

transluscent

vitreous
to
pearly
vitreous
dull pearly

transparent
transparent,
transluscent

vitreous
to
pearly

transparent

dull, earthy

transluscent

vitreous
to
pearly
vitreous
to
pearly
pearly
to
greasy

transparent,
transluscent
transparent,
transluscent
transluscent,
opaque

OTHER
PROPERTIES
sometimes
fluorescent
very heavy for
a nonmetallic
mineral
breaks rhombic
HCl reaction
double refraction
thin flakes,
tough,
flexible
frequently a
copper - like
luster
foliated or
scaly
appearance
splits
into thin
sheets
plastic when wet
crumbly when
dry
water soluble,
tastes salty
sometimes as
fibrous
masses
feels greasy,
tiny flakes
upon rubbing

SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

MINERAL
NAME

3.18

FLUORITE

4.3 - 4.6

BARITE

2.71

CALCITE

2.8 - 3.2

BIOTITE

2.68

PHLOGOPITE

2.6 - 3.3

CHLORITE

2.7 - 3.0

MUSCOVITE

2.6

KAOLINITE

2.16

HALITE

2.3 - 2.4

GYPSUM

2.7 - 2.8

TALC

NONMETALLIC MINERALS
HARDNESS (9 - 1)
STREAK

colorless

colorless

colorless

colorless

COLOR
brown,
pink, blue
& others
black, green
brown, pink
yellow
usually red,
green, black
or any color
any color

HARDNESS

FRACTURE
CLEAVAGE
fracture,
sometimes
with parting

LUSTER

DIAPHANEITY

vitreous
to
adamantine

transparent,
transluscent

7 - 7.5

fracture

vitreous

6.5 - 7.5

fracture

conchoidal
fracture

6.5 - 7

conchoidal
fracture

vitreous

5 - 6.5

fracture

dull

opaque

4 - 5.5

fracture

dull

transluscent,
opaque

1-3

fracture

dull earthy

transluscent,
opaque

FRACTURE
colorless

reddish

yellowish-brown

white

olive,
green,
brown
red - brown,
silver,
or black
yellow,
brown,
or black
white, gray
yellow, red
brown

vitreous
to
resinous
vitreous
to
greasy

transparent,
to
opaque
transparent,
to
opaque
transparent
to
transluscent
transparent
to
transluscent

OTHER
PROPERTIES
sometimes has
hexagonal
crystals
sometimes
striations

SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

MINERAL
NAME

4.02

CORUNDUM

3.02 - 3.2

TOURMALINE

3.5 - 4.3

GARNET

sometimes
isometric
crystals
sometimes has
hexagonal
crystals
frequently
as granular
masses
sometimes
oolitic or
magnetic
earthy
color and
appearance

2.65

QUARTZ

3.27 - 4.27

OLIVINE

5.26

HEMATITE

2.7 - 4.3

LIMONITE

pisolitic

2.00 - 2.55

BAUXITE

By: Art Crossman

http://geology.com/

Mineralogy / Petrology (1997)