Identification Sphalerite Identification Sheet The principal zinc ore and a notorious deceiver: brilliant adamantine to resinous luster, six-direction cleavage, and a pale streak that …
Identification Beryl (Aquamarine and Emerald) Identification Sheet The beryllium silicate behind emerald, aquamarine, and morganite: long hexagonal prisms, harder than quartz, in pegmatites.
Identification Azurite Identification Sheet The deep azure-blue copper carbonate, malachite's constant companion, confirmed by its light blue streak and acid reaction.
Identification Topaz Identification Sheet The Mohs 8 reference mineral: hard enough to scratch quartz, with perfect basal cleavage and striated prismatic crystals.
Identification Galena Identification Sheet The primary lead ore: soft, very heavy, bright lead-grey metallic, with perfect cubic cleavage.
Identification Malachite Identification Sheet A bright green copper carbonate recognized by its color, concentric banding, botryoidal habit, and effervescence in acid.
Identification Rhodochrosite Identification Sheet Colorado's rose-pink state mineral: a manganese carbonate identified by color, low hardness, rhombohedral cleavage, and a warm-acid react…
Identification Calcite Identification Sheet How to confirm calcite using hardness, cleavage, and the dilute-acid reaction test.
Identification Quartz Identification Sheet Field identification cues for quartz and its common varieties, with a decision path for separating it from lookalikes.
