The Mineral Identification Key

Table IB: Minerals with Metallic or Submetallic Luster & Hardness greater than 2, but less than 5
Hardness
1 to 2

Color
Iron-black

Streak
Black

Cleavage
One perfect
direction

Mineral Bijih
PYROLUSITE
MnO2

System
Tetragonal

1 to 2

Silvery-white

Grey

SYLVANITE
(Au,Ag)Te2

Monoclinic

1 to 2

Metallic-blue,
tarnishes to
blue-black

Black

One perfect
direction
(basal)

COVELLITE
CuS

Trigonal

Hardness
2

Color
Bluish-black
to Silveryblack

Streak
Grey-black

Cleavage
One perfect
direction
(prismatic),
two imperfect

Name
STIBNITE
Sb2S3

System
Orthorhombic

2 to 2

Deep Rubyred to Bright

Ruby-red

Brownish-red One distinct

to Scarlet or
direction
Vermilion

PYRARGYRITE/
PROUSTITE
Ag3(Sb,As)S3
Ag3(As,Sb)S3

Trigonal

Habit
May be splintery or in
radiating fibrous
masses
Usually granular or in
bladed aggregates,
often appears as
skeletal forms on
rocks, resembling
writing (cuneiform)
Platy masses or thin
six-sided platy
crystals

SG
4.7

Notes
Will sometimes
mark paper.

Logam
Manganese
(Mangan)

8 to
8.2

May mark paper.

Rare

Gold
(Emas)

4.6

Habit
Usually as thick
bladed crystals with
striations both
parallel to and across
the long axis; crystals
often bent or
"kinked"
Prismatic, pyramidal,
rhombohedral, and
scalenohedral crystals
, also massive,
usually as complex
intergrown crystal

SG
4.5

May be somewhat
iridescent, turns
metallic-purple when
wet. Will sometimes
mark paper.
Notes
Fuses in a candle
flame. Will
sometimes mark
paper.

5.58
(pyrargyrite),
5.57
(proustite)

Isostructural species
difficult to
distinguish, though
pyrargyrite is usually
darker in color and
more common than

aggregates
2 to 2

Grey-black to
Lead-grey

Black

ACANTHITE
Ag2S

Isometric

Pseudo-cubic, usually
massive

7.3

Hardness
2

Color
Bluish-black
to Lead-grey

Streak
Grey-Black
to Black

Name
GALENA
PbS

System
Isometric

SG
7.6

CALAVERITE
AuTe2

Monoclinic

Habit
Usually in cubic
crystals or masses
exhibiting cubic
cleavage, also in
granular masses
Usually granular,
rarely in distinct
elongated crystals

Brass-yellow
to Silverywhite

Yellowish to
Greenishgrey

2 to 3

Grey-black

Black

One good
direction

JAMESONITE
Pb4FeSb6S14

Monoclinic

5.5 to 6.0

Cleavage

Name
BOURNONITE
PbCuSbS3

System
Orthorhombic

Grey to
Black

CHALCOCITE
Cu2S

Monoclinic,
pseudoorthorhombic

Black

DIGENITE

Isometric

Dense clusters or
carpets of fibrous to
acicular crystals; very
delicate!
Habit
Usually in stout
prismatic crystals
often as intergrown
clusters with twinning
exhibited by reentrant angles
Usually in compact
masses, crystals
tabular to stoutly
prismatic, often with
a pseudo-hexagonal
outline, vertically
striated.
Usually massive as

Hardness
2 to 3

Color
Grey-black

Streak
Grey to
Black

2 to 3

Steel-grey,
may tarnish to
black on
exposure

2 to 3

Dark metallic

Cleavage
Perfect in
three
directions at
90o to each
other

9.35

SG
5.8 to 5.9

proustite, fusible in a
candle flame. Rare.
Bright steel-grey on
fresh surfaces but
darkens upon
exposure, easily cut
with a knife (sectile).
Will usually mark
paper.
Notes
Will usually mark
Timbal
paper. Most common (Lead)
heavy mineral.
Very heavy, easily
fusible in a candle
flame (leaving
globules of gold).
May mark paper.
Rare.
Fuses easily in a
candle flame.
Notes
Fuses easily in a
candle flame

5.7

5.5 to 5.7

Very similar to

Emas
(Gold)

Blue to Black

Cu9S5

2 to 3

Steel-grey,
tarnishes
metallic blue

Dark steelgrey

Hardness
2 to 3

Color
Lead-grey

Streak
Brown to
brownishgrey

2 to 3

Dark-red to
Vermilion

Dark-red

2 to 3

Copper-red on
fresh surfaces,
tarnishes to
brown or
black

2 to 3

Goldenyellow, shiny,
becoming
paler with
increased Ag
content electrum
variety
Silvery-white,
tarnishes black

2 to 3

STROMEYERITE
AgCuS

Orthorhombic,
pseudohexagonal

Cleavage
One distinct
direction

Name
BOULANGERITE
Pb5Sb4S11

System
Monoclinic

One perfect
direction

CINNABAR
HgS

Trigonal

Coppery-red,
shiny

COPPER
Cu

Isometric

Goldenyellow, shiny

GOLD
Au

Isometric

Silverywhite, shiny

SILVER
Ag

Isometric

small to tiny irregular

grains, very rarely as
octahedral crystals
Usually massive,
granular, rarely as
pseudo-hexagonal
prismatic crystals
Habit
Usually massive as
fibrous bundles,
crystals usually
needle-like mats,
prismatic crystals
rarer
Usually massive,
crystals uncommon
and usually
rhombohedral, often
as penetration twins
Usually in irregular
masses, large grains,
wires, and crude
dendritic crystals,
crystals usually
octahedral and
malformed, may be
cubic or other
Isometric forms
Usually massive in
irregular grains,
nuggets, "leaves" and
"flakes", crystals
often wires crudely
dendritic or as
malformed
octahedrons
Usually massive as
irregular grains,
wires, and dendritic
crystals

6.2 to 6.3

chalcocite, but much

rarer in nonmicroscopic sizes.
Rare.

SG
6.0 to 6.3

Notes
Thin acicular
crystals flexible.
Rare.

8.10

Luster actually
adamantine,
appearing metallic,
heavy.

8.9

Malleable.

15.0 to 19.3

Malleable, very
heavy! Rare.
Distinguished from
pyrite "fools gold"
by its malleability,
softness and weight.

10.5

Malleable, heavy.
Rare. May mark
paper.

Hardness
3

Color
Grey-black

Streak
Black

Grey-black

3 to 3

Brownishbronze on
fresh surfaces,
tarnishing to
metallic
purple,
iridescent
("peacock
ore")
Brass-yellow

3 to 3

Steel-grey

3 to 3

Tin-white

Silvery-grey,
shiny

Hardness
3 to 4

Color
Steel-grey,
may tarnish
dead black
upon exposure

Streak
Black (may
be Brownishblack)

Tin-white,

Grey-black

Cleavage
One perfect
(prismatic),
two distinct,
and one
indistinct
direction

Name
ENARGITE
Cu3AsS4

System
Orthorhombic

Habit
Usually in bladed
masses

SG
4.4

Notes
Crystals vertically
striated

BORNITE
Cu5FeS4

Orthorhombic,

Crystals usually
pseudo-cubic, usually
massive

5.1

Thin splinters fusible

in a candle flame,
giving a brittle
magnetic globule.

pseudotetrahedral

Black,
sometimes
with a
greenish
tinge
Steel-grey

MILLERITE
NiS

Trigonal

Usually in radiating
groups or mats of
needle-like to hairlike crystals

5.5

Slender crystals
usually have a
greenish tinge

One indistinct
direction

ZINKENITE
Pb9Sb22S42

Hexagonal

5.2 to 5.3

Rare

One perfect,
one distinct,
and one
imperfect
direction
Cleavage

ANTIMONY
Sb

Trigonal

6.6 to 6.7

Very brittle. Rare

Name
TETRAHEDRITE/
TENNANTITE
(Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13
(Cu,Fe)12As4S13<
FONT>

System
Isometric

Usually massive, also

in columnar and
radiating fibrous
aggregates of needlelike crystals
Usually massive,
foliated, or granular,
rarely as pseudocubic or thick tabular
crystals
Habit
Usually massive or
granular, crystals
uncommon and
usually pseudotetrahedral

SG
4.6 to 5.1

One perfect

ARSENIC

Trigonal

Usually found in

5.7

Notes
End members
difficult to
distinguish without
subtle tests an S.G.
above 4.7 is
conclusive for
tetrahedrite.
Heated in candle

tarnishing to
Dark-grey

(basal)

As

3 to 4

BrownishBlack
bronze to
Bronze-yellow

No cleavage
but large
grains exhibit
an octahedral
parting

PENTLANDITE
(Fe,Ni)9S8

Isometric

Usually massive in
granular aggregates

4.6 to 5.0

3 to 4

Brass-yellow,
often
iridescent

Black

CHALCOPYRITE
CuFeS2

Tetragonal

Usually massive,
crystals blocky
tetrahedrons or
wedge-shaped.

4.1 to 4.3

3 to 4

Brown to
Black

Brown

Good in one
direction, poor
in another
direction

WURTZITE
ZnS

Hexagonal

4.0 to 4.1

Hardness
3 to 4

Color
Dark-brown to
black,
sometimes
Olive-yellow
or Red ("Ruby
Jack") to
Reddish-black
Ruby-red to
Reddishbrown

Streak
Dark to
Light-brown:
streak usually
lighter than
the color of
the sample

Cleavage
Perfect in six
directions,
three
directions
usually
prominent

Name
SPHALERITE
ZnS

System
Isometric

Usually massive and

as banded botryoidal
crusts, more rarely as
pyramidal
hemimorphic crystals
Habit
Usually in compact
crystalline masses,
crystals usually
blocky pyramidal,
appearing tetrahedral

SG
3.9 to 4.1

Notes
Luster actually
resinous, appearing
metallic or
submetallic

CUPRITE
Cu2O

Isometric

Usually massive,
crystals usually cubes
or octahedrons

6.0

3 to 4

Black

Green

Isometric

Color
Brownishbronze to

Streak
Grey-black

Usually massive or
granular.
Habit
Usually massive,
crystals as pseudo-

4.0 to 4.1

Hardness
4

ALABANDITE
MnS
Name
PYRRHOTITE
Fe1-xS

Luster may be
adamantine rather
than metallic in
crystals
Rare

3 to 4

Brownish-red

One perfect
direction
Cleavage

botryoidal fibrous
masses

System
Monoclinic
pseudo-

SG
4.6 to 4.7

flame it gives off

white fumes that
have a strong garlic
odor (poisonous!)
Rare
Resembles pyrrhotite
but is not magnetic,
often mixed with
pyrrhotite
Often mixed with
pyrite, making a
hardness test
inconclusive;
distinguished from
pyrite by softness
and shape of
crystals.
Rare

Notes
Magnetic, though
may be weak

Bronze-yellow
Steel-grey to
Black
Iron-black

Indistinct in
two directions

STANNITE
Cu2FeSnS4

hexagonal
Tetragonal

Steel-grey to
Iron-black

Dark reddish- One perfect,

brown to
two good
Black
directions

MANGANITE
MnO(OH)

Monoclinic,
pseudoorthorhombic

4 to 4

White to
Steel-grey

Grey, shiny

PLATINUM
Pt

Isometric

Hardness
5

Color
Steel-grey

Streak
Black

Cleavage
One perfect
direction

Name
GLAUCODOT
(Co,Fe)AsS

System
Orthorhombic

Yellowish or
reddish-brown

Pale-brown
to white

MONAZITE
(Ce,La,Nd)PO4

Monoclinic

5 to 5

Dark-brown to
Black: color
black in
ferberite
brown in
hbnerite
Pale Copperred to Pinkish
silvery-white,
tarnishing to

Dark-brown
to Black:
streak
darkens with
increasing Fe
content
Black

Variable: may
be good in one
direction and
poor to good
in another
direction
One perfect
direction

5 to 5

FERBERITE/
Monoclinic
HBNERITE
("Wolframite" series)
(Fe,Mn)WO4
(Mn,Fe)WO4
NICKELINE
NiAs

Hexagonal

hexagonal plates
Usually massive,
4.3 to 4.5
rarely as pseudooctahedral crystals
Usually in radiating
4.3
fibrous masses,
crystals often grouped
in bundles.

Rare
Often associated
with pyrolusite;
distinguished from
that species by its
significantly greater
hardness
Malleable, very
heavy! Very rare.
Distinguished from
gold by its color.

Usually massive in
irregular grains or
nuggets, crystals rare
and usually
malformed cubes
Habit
Usually massive,
more rarely as
prismatic crystals in
cruciform penetration
twins

14 to 19

Usually massive,
granular, may be in
crude large crystals

4.6 to 5.3
(approx.)

Usually massive,
granular, crystals
tabular to bladed with
vertical striations

7.0 to 7.5

S.G. above about 7.3

indicates ferberite,
lower indicates
hbnerite

Usually massive,
crystals rare and
usually pyramidal,
often malformed,

7.78

May be coated with

green "nickel bloom"
(annabergite).

SG
5.9 to 6.1

Notes
Rare; alloclasite,
monoclinic, is
dimorphous with
glaucodot and
difficult to
distinguish from it,
but is probably even
rarer
Luster usually
resinous to waxy, but
may be adamantine
and may appear submetallic

Dark-grey or
Black
5 to 5

Dark brown to
Black

Hardness
5

Color
Streak
Dark-brown to Iron-black to
Black
Brownishblack

5 to 6

Yellowbrown or
Yellow-ocher

Dark-brown to Rust-red or
Steel-grey to
Indian-red
Black

One perfect
direction
Cleavage

GOETHITE
(pronounced "Gerta-ite.")
FeO(OH)
Name
CHROMITE
FeCr2O4
(Magnesiochromite
is closely related,
S.G. 4.2, Rare.
Manganochromite,
H. 6, is even rarer.)
HEMATITE
Fe2O3

Orthorhombic

System
Isometric

Trigonal

may also be
reticulated or
arborescent
Usually in radiating
4.37
botryoidal aggregates,
mammillary, or
stalactic
Habit
SG
Usually massive,
4.6
rarely as octahedral
crystals

Usually massive in
4.8 to 5.3
radiating, reniform, or
micaceous aggregates

Notes
Luster usually
pitchy, submetallic,
usually associated
with peridotite rocks
and accompanied by
green or yellow
alteration products.
Usually harder than
a knife, but some
forms can be softer.
(See under Tables IA
& IC.)