SOME CHARACTERISTICS AND

CHEMICAL
DEGEE OF AVERAG AVERAGE OCURRENCES( Odor; Taste,
MINERALS COMPOSIT
PERCENT LUSTER, DEGREE TRANSPARENC E HARD- SPECIF Magetims, Solubility, Tarnish,
ION
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR OF INTENSITY EY STREAK TENACY NESS GRAVITY Feel, Soil)
Independent beds in
Compact, Straw Yellow to gypsum, limestone, in lava
REALGAR AsS
71.1As Granular, Brownish and Greasy, Pale with aragonite, anydrite,
29.9 S Crustis Reddish Yellor Adamantine Translucent Yellow Brittle 2 2 celestitle
May have pink coating,
71.8 As Granular, Tin White, Grayish with niccolite, cobaltite,
Smaltite CoAs2 28.2 Co Compact Light Steel Gray Metallic Opaque Black Brittle 5.5 6.5 proustite, barite
17.0 As Dark Black, Arsenical Tetrahedrite, with
57.6Cu Granular, Steel Gray Iron Metallic Reddish chalcopyrite; sphalerite,
Tennantite Cu8As2S7 25.4S Compact Black Splendent Opaque Brown Brittle 3.5 4.9 galena
Coarse or White, Greenish Short fibered asbestos, fine
ASBESTOS Silky, Silky-
Mg3Si2O9 Fine Fibrous, and Yellowish Opaque White Flexible 1.7 1.7 parallel fibers, easily
CRRYSOTILE metalic
Feited White separable
Compact, Transparent - Distinct cleavage
TREMOLITE CaMg3Si4
26.9 Si Columnar, White, Yellowish Silky, to- important, with limestones,
(AMPHIBOLE) O12
17.5 Mg Fibrous White Colorless Vitreous Opaque White Brittle 5.5 3 dolomites
In metalliferous veins; with
Compact, Yellowish, Trasparent -
BARIUM(Ba) Vitreous, iron and manganese
BaSO4 Fibrous, Brownwish, Dark to- White Brittle 3.3 4.5
BARITE (BARYTES) Pearly minerals, galena,
Lamellar Brown Opaque
58.8 Ba sphalerite, chalcopyrite
Compact, Trasparent - Oftem radial fibrous
White, Grayish, Vitreous,
69.6 Ba Columnar, to- White Brittle 3.8 4,2 resembling strontianite but
Colorlees Greasy
Witherite BaCO3 Globular Translucent heavier; usualle with galena
10.0 Al Compact, Trasparent - Crystals usualle simple in
Pale Yellow to
BERYLLIUM(Be)BE Be3Al2 5.0 Be Columnarm Vitreous to- White Brittle 7.8 2.7 granite, mica, schists, day
Bronwish Yellow
RYL (SiO3)6 31.3 Si Granular Translucent slates

Found loose among

Broken,
Colorless to White Vitreous, Uncolor disntegrated material of
Fragments, Transparent Brittle 5.8 2.8
or Pale Yellow Brilliant ed granite veins; with beryl,
Loose
feldspars, columbite
BERYLLONITE NaBePO4 7.1 Be

Yellowish, Trasparent - Crystals disseminated as

Fragments, Vitreous,
Greenwish , to- White Brittle 8.5 3.6 plates; in granite, gneiss,
Loose Greasy
7.1 Be Yellow, Brown Translucent placers, beryl
CHRYSOBERYL Be(AlO2)2 42.5 Al

6.2 Be Only in Colorless to White Vitreous, Colorles Found in chloritic schists,

EUCLASE HBeAlSiO5 19.3 Si Crystals and blue Pearly Transparent s Brittle 7.5 3.1 auriferous sand
 Trasparent
Colorless, Wine, to Sub-
16.4 Be Yellow, Rose, Translucent Colorles With mica schists, green
PHENACITE Be2SiO4 25.5 Si Crystals Brown Vitreous s Brittle 7.8 2.9 fledspar, quartz, clay
Lead
BISMUTH(Bi) Platey, Platey, Ligth Copper Gray, Associated with nickel and
NATIVE Bi 100.0 Bi Arborescent Arbotescent Red Metallic Opaque Shiny 2.3 9.7 cobalt; brassy tarnish

Often with yellowish or,

Pale bronwish coatin; with acid
Cas2(Al,Ce,Fe)2 Compact, Trasparent Brown, igneous rocks, limestones,
(Al+OH) Granular, Black, Brownish Submetallic, -to- Grayish magnetite, epodite, quartz,
Orthite (SiO2)3 Variable Bladed Black Greasy Opaque Beown Brittle 5.8 3.5 felsdpar

Dark Slighty magnetic, pitchlike

Iron Black, and appearance, with
CHOROMIUM(Cr.) Compact, Brownwish Submetallic, Grayish serpentine, talc, also black
CHROMITE FeCr2O4 46.5 Cr Granular Black Pitchy Opaque Brown Brittle 5.5 4.5 sands

Resembles potassium
Columnar, bichromate in color, with
16.1 Cr Granular, Hyacinth Red, Adamantine, Orange galena, quartz, vanadinite,
Crocoite PbCrO4 64.1 Pb Crusts Aurora Red Greasy Translucent Yellow Sectilie 2.5 6 wulfenite

CLAY Kaolinite Very strong clay odor;

(CHINA CLAY) adheres to tongue; plastic;
Bentonite Al2O3+2SiO2+ greasy feel, bentinite swells
(COLLOIDAL CLAY) 2H2O Variable Amorphous White, Gray Dull Gray Powdery Soft 2.4 when wetted

May have red tarnish; often

35.5 Co Dark with pink coating, with
COBALT (Co) 45.2 As Compact Silver White, Grayish native silver, smaltite,
COBALTITE CoAsS 19.3 S Granular Steel Gray Metallic Opaque Black Brittle 5.5 6.2 niccolite

Pale Steel Gray

Octahedroues Tarnishing When occurring eith Nickel,
LINNAEITE CoSCO2S3 58.00% Massive Copper Red Metallic Opaque Brittle 5.5 4.8-5 called SIEGENITE
 May have dull tarnish and
pink coatig; with niccolite,
Tin white, cobaltite, native bismuth,
28.2 Co Compact, Light Steel Grayish silver, prostite, barite,
SMALTITE CoAs2 71.8 As Granular Gray Metallic Opaque Black Brittle 5.5 6.5 fluorite, calcita
Tarnishes readily to red,
blue, green
Black;cementing material in
Copper conglomerate; with cuprite,
COPPER (Cu) Scales, Plates, Red, Ductile, matachite, azuritem
NATIVE Cu 100.Cu Lumps Copper Red Metallic Opaque Shining Malleable 2.8 8.8 apidote

Common alteration
product of copper minerals,
Trasparent with malachite, cuprite,
2CuCO3+ Fibrous, Azure Blue, Dark -to- native copper,
AZURITE Cu(OH)2 55.3 Cu Earthy, Crusts Blue Vitreous Dull Opaque Blue Brittle 3.8 3.7 chalcocita,chalcopyrite

63.3 Cu With chalcopyrite,

11.1 Fe Compact, Bronze, Copper Grayish chalcocite, malachite,
BORNITE Cu5FeS4 25.6 S Granular Red, on Fracture Metallic Opaque Black Brittle 3.3 5 siderite

Dark Tarnishes dull black, blue,

Gray green; more, brittle than
79.9 Cu Compact, Dark Lead Black Rather argentite, often coated
CHALCOCITE Cu2S 20.1 s Granular Gray Metallic Opaque Shiny Brittle 2.8 5.7 with azurite or malachite

34.9 Se Minute With various selenides of

Chalcomenite CuSeO3+ 2H2O 28.1 Cu Crystals Bright Blue Vitreous Translucent 3.8 silver, copper and lead
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
CHEMICAL AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
METAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)
CHALCOPHYLLITE Esmerald Vitreous
Tubular or grass,
Crystatls Green to Somewhat
Formula Follated Verdigrin Transparen to Paler Than
Uncentain Massive Green translucent Color 2 2.4-2.7
Sefter and deeger
Brass yellow tan pyrite,
34.6Cu Yellow irridecent tarnish, with
30.4Fe Golden pyrite, bornite, galena,
CHALCOPYRITE CuFeO2 35S Compact Yellow Metallic Brittle 3.8 4.2 sphalerite
CHRYSOCOLLA CuSiO3. 2H2O 45.2%CuO Earthy- Green- Dull to Translucent to When Sectille 2.4 2.8 Can be black
34.2S Enarmel Bluish Metallic opaque Pure, Brittle
20.5H2O Like Green, Sky White
compact, Blue-
Crusts Turquoise
Blue
COVELLITE Cus 66.4%Cu Similar to Indigo Submetalic Opaque Lead Gray Rather 1.5-2.0 4.8 Translucent in thin
33.6%S pyrrhotite Blue or to Resinous to Black Britttle plates
Thin Darker-
Hexagonal Can Have
Crystals Purple
Tarnish
CUPRITE Cu2O 88.6Cu Compact Brick Red Adamantine, Translucent to Brownish Brittle 3.8 5.9 With copper,
Granular, Dark Red Dull Opaque Red, Diry malachite, azurite,
Earthy Brown chalcocita, etc
MALACHITE CuCO3+Cu(OH)2 57.0Cu Fribrous, Esmerald, Silky, Translucent to Light Brittle 3.8 3.9 Product of copper with
Crusts, Grass and Adamantine, Opaque Green azufite, cuprite,
Earthy Dark Dull copper, chalcocite, etc
Green
TETHAHEDRITE 4Cu3S + SbS4 53.9Cu Massive, Flint Gray Metallic, Subtranslucent Like Color Rather 4.0 4.8 Antimonial
25.8Sb Granular to Iran Splendent to Opaque Brittle tetrahedrite
23.8S Compact Black
DIATOMACEOUS SiO2+ nH2O Porous Yellow to Vitreous, Opaque White to 2.0 2.2 Siliceous at diatoms
EARTH Earthy Bron Dull Gray light in wight fine
Clark-Like particles scracth glass
TORYOLITE 54.3F Compact, Snow Vitreous, Transparent to White Brittle 2.8 2.9 Sometime resembles
12.9Al Granular White Greasy translucent show ice
33.9Na Gray, Pearly
Colorless
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
CHEMICAL
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)
GALLIUM Is very rare, present in
Bauxite For properties see Aluminum bauxite and sphalerite
Sphalerite For properties see Zin as an impurity
GARNET 26.7Cu Compact Colorless Vitreous Transparent to White Brittle 7.0 3.5 In crystaline limestones
Ca3Al2Si3O12 16.7Si Granular White and translucent and dolomites
12Al Lameliar Greenwish
White
GERMANIUM 3Ag2S+GeS2 6.2 Cu Compact Steel Gray, Metallic Grayish Brittle 2.5 6.1 A sulfo- sait; with
73.5Mg Massive Tinge of Black, siderite, marcasite,
Red Shining sphalerite
BISMITHINITE Bi2S3 Variable Earthy White to Vitreous Subtranslucent Greenish 2.0 5.4 Yellowish or irridescent
Incristing, Dirty sometimes to Opaque Gray is tarnish, with
Pulverulent Green Dull Colorless molybdenite and
apatite in quartz
BISMUTITE Bi2O3+CO2+ H2O Variable Earthy White to Vitreous Subtranslucent Greenish 4.3 5.8 Basic bismuth
incrusting, dirty green sometimes to Opaque Gray to carbonate, exavt
Pulverulent dull Colorless composition doubtul,
ocurs with native
bismuth
COSALITE Pb2BisS5 42.1Bi Massive Lead Gray Metallic Opaque Black Brittle 2.8 5.5 In quartz veins, with
16.2S Fribrous pyrite, sphalerite and
41.8Pb some telluride
TETRADYMITE Bi2(Te,S)3 Variable Massive Pale Steel Splendent Laminae 1.8 7.4 Bismuth and tellurium,
Bladed Gray Metallic Flexible soils paper;with
Foliated magnetite,
Granular chalcopyrite limonite,
etc
BORAX(Tinical) Na2BaO7+10H2O 11.4 B Sometimes White, Vitreous to Trnaslucent to White Rather 2.3 1.7 Taste, feebly sweetish-
Earthy also Resinous Opaque Brittle alkaline, lake beds and
Bluish, lake plains
Graish,
Greenish
CADMIUM(Cd) CdS 77.8Cd Crystals Various Adamantine Nearly Orange Brittle 3.3 4.9 Sometimes a coating
GREENOCIOTE 22.2S Only Yellows to resinous Transparent Yellow to on sphalerite with
Brick REd prehnite
SMITHSONITE ( For properties see Zinc) Cadmium occurs in
smithsonite as an
impurity
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
CHEMICAL
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)
CARBON(C) C 100.0C Granular Dark Gray, Dull, Sub- Opaque Dark Gray, Laminae 1.5 2.1 Greasy teel, marks
GRAPHITE Earthy Iron Black metallic Iron Black Flexible paper, often impure,
(Plumbagom Sooty with spinel, shale ,
Black lead) gneiss, mica schist
INDUSTRIAL C 100C Irregular Colorless, Adamantine, TRnasparent to Ash GRay Brittle 10 3.5 May be tinged with
DIAMONDS GRains or White, Greasy translucent color; eith serpentine,
Pebbies Gray placer, magnetite,
chromite, cassiterite,
gold
CERIUM(Ce) Doubtful Variable Massive Clove Dull, subtranslucent Grayish Brittle 5.5 4.9 A silicate of the metlas
GRanular Brown, Adamantine White of the cirium grpo with
Cherry REsinous iron and cacium in
Red, Gray small amounts
FLUOCERITE Variable Variable Masive Reddish Subtrnaslucent 4.0 5.7 Contains cerium
Yellow to Opaque meta´s chiefly and
some of the yttrium
group; with pegmatite,
orthite
MONOZITE (Ce,La,Di)+ PD4 Variable Angular, Reddish Greasy Trnasparent to White Brittle 5.3 5.1 Phosphate of cerium
Fragments, Broen, Vitreous Opaque metals;with quartz,
Rolied Yellowish magnetite, diamond
Grains Brown
FREE GOLD Au 100Au Grains Golden Metallic Opaque Golden Malleable 2.8 17.5 Dos not tarnish, in
Scales, and Light Yellow Ductile quartz veins, glacers;
dust Yellow Characteristic, streak
Nuggets
Pexite AuAg3Te2 25.5Au Massive Iron Gray Metallic Opaque GRay Sectile to 2.5 9.1 Often tarnishses
42.0Ag Fine to Black Brittle
32.5Te Granular
Comact
SYLVANITE (Au,Ag)Te4 24.2Au Bladed Silver Metallic Silver Brittle 1.8 8.1 Telluride of gold and
62.6Te Granular White to Brillant White to silver
13.2Ag Columnar Pure Steel Steel Gray
Gray
GYPSUM CaOS4+2H2O 18.6S Fibrous Resh Red, Vitreous, TRnaparent to White to Brittle 1.8 2.3 Ferruginous, in
23.3Ca Cleavable Brick Red, Silky, Dull Opaque Grar Laminae lomestones, shales;
Coarse, Yellowish Flexible with halite, celestite,
Sand aragonite, anhydrite
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
CHEMICAL
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)
INDIUM (In) Associated with zinc,
tugsten, found mainfly
in flue dust from zinc
smeltes
IODINE(I) Main sorces are
mineral lakes, ocean
waters, Chilean
saltpetre and seaweed
IRON(Fe) Fe2O3 70.0Fe Compact Brownish Submetallic Opaque Reddish Brittle 5.0 5.0 Impure fron clay, sand
HEMATITE red Brown
(Argilaceous)

(Red ocher, Fe2O3 70.0Fe Fine Brownish. Dull Earthy Opaque Cherry Brittle 2.0 5.1 Earthy, tish-egg
fossiliferous) granular Cherry Reddish structure, reples shelts
earthy Red Brown
scaly
Ooliitc
MAGNETITE Fe(Feo2)2 72.4FE Compact Iron Black Metalic Opaque Black Brittle 6.0 5.1 Very strongly
Granular Submetallic magnetic, with
Lameliar Dull chlorite, hornblende,
pyroxene, chalcopyrite,
etc
Marcasite(white FeS2 46.5FE Compact Steel Gray, Metallic Opaque Dark Brittle 6.3 4.7 Lghter color on fresh
iron pyrites) 53.5S Globular Brass Breenish fracture tan pyrite,
Stalactitic Yellow Black occurrence same as for
pyrits
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
CHEMICAL
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
CHEMICAL
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAG AND OCURRENCES(
CHEMICAL
MINERALS LUSTER, AVERAG E SPECIF Odor; Taste, Magetims,
COMPOSITION
PERCENT DEGREE OF DEGEE OF E HARD- GRAVIT Solubility, Tarnish, Feel,
mETAL STRUCTURE COLOR INTENSITY TRANSPARENCEY STREAK TENACY NESS Y Soil)