Mineral Identification lab
By Vaughn Kuemper
Translucent Gypsum
Golden Gypsum crystals
Chemical formula:
CaSO4-2H2O
Lustre: Cleavage: Colour:
non-metallic Perfect on {010} Colorless
Streak Colour: Hardness:
white Softer than a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 1.5
Special properties: Translucent Uses: drywall, plaster, fertilizer, and traditional Chinese medicine
Gypsum
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Barite
Class example
Chemical formula:
BaSO4
Lustre:
non-metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes, perfect cleavage parallel to base, and prism faces White, colorless, light shades of blue, yellow, grey, brown
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White Harder than a fingernail, softer than glass Moh’s Scale = 3-3.5
Special properties: The term “Primary Baryte” refers to the first marketable product. Uses: Drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration.
Barite
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Talc
Block of talc
Chemical formula:
Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Lustre:
non-metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes, Perfect on {001} White, brown
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White Softer than a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 1
Special properties: It’s an important ingredient for makeup Uses: Paper making, plastic, paint, rubber, food, electric cable
Talc
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Quartz Chemical formula:
SiO2
Lustre:
non-metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes, {0110} indistinct Colorless
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White Harder than glass Moh’s Scale = 7
Special properties: Essential constituent of granite Uses: jewelry, glass, stone tools
Crystal structure of Quartz
Quartz
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Pyrite Chemical formula:
FeS2
Lustre:
metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
indistinct on {001} Pale brass-yellow
Streak Colour: Hardness:
greenish black Harder than glass Moh’s Scale = 6-6.5
Crystal structure of Pyrite
Special properties: Enjoyed in the 16th and 17th century because of its use for ignition in firearms Uses:
Mineral detector in radio recievers
Pyrite
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Graphite
Graphite's unit cell
Chemical formula: Lustre:
C metallic
Cleavage: Colour: Streak Colour:
Yes, Bascal – perfect on {0001} Iron-black to steel-gray; deep blue in transmitted light Black to grey
softer than a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 1-2 Special properties: Has a layered planar structure
Graphite
Hardness:
Uses:
Batteries, steelmaking, brake linings, and lubricants
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Magnetite
Crystal structure of Magnetite
Chemical formula:
Fe2Fe32O4
Lustre:
metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes, indistinct, parting on {III}, very good Black, gray with brownish tint
Streak Colour: Hardness:
Black Harder than glass Moh’s Scale = 5.5-6.5
Special properties: Magnetite carries the dominant magnetic signature in rocks Uses:
Magnets, abrasive materials, jewlry
Magnetite
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Feldspar
Feldspar Chemical formula:
KAISi3O8
Lustre:
non-metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes, two or three planes Pink, white, gray, brown
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White Harder than glass Moh’s Scale =6-6.5
Grey Feldspar
Special properties: Mostly found in China, Italy, and Turkey Uses: Rubber, paint, plastic, glassmaking, tableware
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Biotite Mica
Biotite: Topotype deposit
Chemical formula:
K(MgFE)3(AISi3O10)(FOG)2
Lustre:
non-metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes, perfect on the {001} Dark brown, greenish brown, blackish-brown, yellow
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White soft as a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 2.5-3.0
Special properties: Uses: rock.
Biotite Mica
Sources: -Wikipedia.com Biotite has a highly perfect bascal cleavage Constrain ages of rocks, assessing temperature of metamorphic -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Hematite
Crystal structure of hematite
Chemical formula:
Fe2O3
Lustre:
metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
none metallic grey, dull to bright red
Streak Colour: Hardness:
Bright red to dark red Soft as a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 5.5-6.5
Special properties: Uses:
Also referred to as the blood ore Jewelry, gilding, pottery
Hematite
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Calcite
Doubly terminated calcite crystal
Chemical formula:
CaCO3
Lustre:
non metallic
Cleavage:
Perfect on {1011}.
Colour:
White, transparent
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White Softer than glass but harder than fingernail Moh’s Scale = 3
Special properties: Uses:
Calcite
Sources: Calcite is best recognized by its high reactivity to weak acids -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab” World war 2 for gun scopes
Green Fluorite
Blue Fluorite from China
Chemical formula:
CaF2
Lustre:
non-metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
Yes; octahedral cleavage (usually) variations of purple
Streak Colour: Hardness:
colourless softer than glass, but harder than fingernail Moh’s Scale = 4
Special properties: fluorescence under UV light Uses: optics, high-end telescopes and lenses; source of fluoride used in toothpaste
Fluorite
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Galena
Galena with druzy calcite
Chemical formula: Lustre:
PbS metallic
Cleavage:
Cubic perfect on [001], parting on [111] Lead gray and silvery Lead gray
Colour: Streak Colour: Hardness: Special properties: Uses:
Soft as a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 2.5-2.75 Galena deposits often contain significant amounts of silver Kohl, lead acid batteries, wireless communication systems
Galena
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Halite
Halite Cubes from the Stassfurt potash deposit
Chemical formula: Lustre:
NaCl Vitreous
Cleavage: Colour:
Perfect {001}, three directions cubic Colorless or white
Streak Colour:
White
Hardness: Special properties:
Soft as a fingernail Moh’s Scale = 2-2.5 Halite is found in beds of sedimentary evaporate minerals
Uses:
Managing ice, used in some food to enhance the flavor
Halite
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”
Sulfur
Sulfur
Chemical formula:
S8
Lustre:
non metallic
Cleavage: Colour:
fracture Yellow
Streak Colour: Hardness:
White Softer than fingernail Moh’s Scale = 2
Special properties: Uses:
It has a physical and chemical structure Gunpowder, matches, and fireworks
Sulfur
Sources: -Wikipedia.com -Glencoe.com “Virtual Mineral Lab”