GEOLOGY 194: METALLIFEROUS ORE DEPOSITS (LABORATORY)

PRE-LAB EXERCISE 1
INTRODUCTION TO ORE MINERALOGY
NAME: Apolinario J. Katipunan
Mineral
Name

Realgar

Covellite

Cinnabar

Chemical
Composition

AsS

CLASS NO.: 15
Color of
fresh
surface

Red to
yelloworange

CuS

Indigo-blue;
iridescent
brassyyellow to
deep red

HgS

Cochinealred towards
brownish
red and
leady-gray

Color of
tarnish

No
tarnish

No
tarnish

No
tarnish

Streak

Redorange
to red

Luster

Resinous to
greasy

Leadgray

Sub-metallic

Scarlet

Adamantine
, inclining to
metallic
when dark,
dull in
friable
material

Diaphaneity

Habit

Transparent
when fresh

Massive,
coarse to
fine
granular,
incrustatio
ns

Opaque

Transparent
in thin
pieces

Massive,
foliated

incrustatio
ns,
granular,
massive

Cleavage
or
Fracture

Special
Properties

Diagnostic
property

5D

Transforms
into
pararealgar
upon
prolonged
exposure
to light

Striking
color and
low
hardness

1.5-2

1D

Found in
hydrotherm
al
replaceme
nt ore
deposits
and in
skarns;
Copper ore

iridescent
color and
habits

2-2.5

Cleavage
: 1D;
Subconc
hoidal,
uneven
fracture

bifringent
crystals,

Color
heaviness,
and low
hardness

Hardness

1.5-2

Page 1 of 11

Copper

Bornite

Sphalerit
e

Cuprite

Cu

Pale rose,
copper red

Cu5FeS4

Copper-red
to
pinchbeckbrown

(Zn, Fe)S

Highly
variable,
ranging
from
colorless to
dark brown,
gray, black,
commonly
brown,
yellow, red,
green

Cu21+O

Cochinealred, rubyred, purplish

red to nearly
black

green,
sometime
s, blue,
brown,
red or
black

iridescent
purplish

No
tarnish

No
tarnish

Copper
red,
shiny
streak

Pale
grayish
black

Pale
brown
to pale
yellow
and
white

Browni
sh red,
shining

Metallic

Metallic

Resinous to
adamantine

Adamantine
to
submetallic,
earthy

Opaque

Filiform,
arboresce
nt,
massive

Opaque

Granular,
massive,
dissemina
ted

Transparent
to
transluscent

Fibrous,
botryoidal,
stalactitic,
cleavable,
coarse to
fine
granular,
massive

Transparent
to
transluscent

Hairlike
capillary
forms,
reticulated
, tufted
and
matted,
granular,
massive,
compact

2.5-3

Hackly
fracture

Unique
color and
crystal
habits,
great
malleability
and
ductility

Tarnish,
electrical
conductivit
y

3-3.25

Cleavage
: 1D;
Uneven
to
conchoid
al
fracture

Tarnish,
low
hardness,
association
with copper
ores

tarnishes
to
iridescent
purple,
blue, and
red

3.5-4

Cleavage
: 1D;
Conchoid
al
fracture

commonly
tribolumine
scent

Color,
luster,
crystal
forms, and
streak

3.5-4

Cleavage
: 2D;
Conchoid
al to
uneven
fracture

minor ore
of copper

Crystal
shape,
color and
luster

Page 2 of 11

Zincite

Limonite

Niccolite

Orpiment

(Zn, Mn2+)O

Yelloorange to
deep red,
rarely
yellow,
green,
colorless

No
tarnish

Yelloworange

Subadaman
tine to
resinous

FeO(OH)*n
H2O

Yellow,
brown,
reddishbrown.

Occasion
ally
iridescent

Yellow
to
brown

Dull,
vitreous, or
silky

Bronze to
copper red

Color of
tarnish is
gray to
gray
black

Dark
brown
to black

NiAs

As2S3

Lemonyellow to
golden or
brownish
yellow

No
tarnish

Pale
lemonyellow

Metallic

Resinous,
pearly on
cleavage
surface

Transluscen
t

foliated,
granular,
compact,
massive

Opaque

massive,
botryoidal,
mammillar
y, fibrous

Opaque

prismatic,
tabular,
massive,
reniform,
plumose

Transparent

Reniform,
botryoidal,
granular

Cleavage
: 1D;
Conchoid
al
fracture

Zinc ore;
found in
zinc-rich
zones of
metamorph
osed
marble

Color,
mineral
association
s

4-5.5

Splintery
to
uneven
fracture

Becomes
magnetic
when
heated

Color,
streak, and
formations

5-5.5

Conchoid
al to
uneven
fracture

Nickel ore

Color and
mode of
occurrence

2D

Found in
low
temperatur
e
hydrotherm
al veins
and
volcanic
hot springs
and
fumaroles.

Striking
color,
enviroment
, and
frequent
association
with
realgar

1.5-2

Page 3 of 11

Sulfur

Gold

Electrum

Au

(Au, Ag)

Sulfuryellow to
honeyyellow

Gold yellow

Pale yellow

No
tarnish

It doesnt
tarnish

Fairly
resistant
to tarnish

white

Gold
yellow

Pale
yellow

Resinous to
greasy

Metallic

Metallic

Transparent
to
transluscent

Massive,
reniform

Opaque

Reticulate
d,
Dendtritic,
arboresce
nt, platy,
filiform,
spongy,
massive,
rounded
nuggets,
scales
and flakes

Opaque

Arboresce
nt,
elongated,
wiry,
reticulated
, massive,
in scales,
sheets,
and as
coatings

cracks
when
exposed to
heat,
dissolves
in warm
water, may
have
greasy
feel, gives
off a mild
sulfuric
odor

1.5-2.5

3D

color,
softness,
very low
density,
habit of
cracking
when
exposed to
heat

2.5-3

Hackly
fracture

Resistance
to tarnish

color,
hardness,
specific
gravity

Hackly
fracture

high
reflectivity,
fairly
corrioson
resistant

color

2.5-3

Page 4 of 11

Millerite

Chalcopy
rite

Pentlandi
te

Pyrite

Chrysoco
lla

NiS

CuFeS2

Pale brassyellow to
bronzeyellow

tarnishes
to
iridescen
ce

Brassyellow

iridescent
and
multicolor
ed
purple,
blue, and
red

Greenis
h black

Greenis
h black

Metallic

Metallic

Opaque

radiating
groups of
hairlike,
interwove
n masses,
slender to
capillary
crystals

Opaque

Equant,
massive,
botryoidal

Opaque

Massive,
granular
aggregate
s

Pale
bronzeyellow

No
tarnish

Pale
bronzebrown

FeS2

Pale brassyellow

Darker
pale
brassyellow
and
iridescent

Greenis
h black
to
brownis
h black

Metallic,
splendent

Opaque

Granular,
globular,
framboidal
, stalactitic

(Cu,
Al)2H2Si2O5(
OH)4*nH2O

Blue, bluegreen,
green,
brown to
black when
impure

No
tarnish

White

Vitreous,
earthy

Transluscen
t to opaque

fine
fibrous,
botryoidal,
earthy

(Fe, Ni)9S8

Metallic

Cleavage
: 2D;
Uneven
fracture

Nickel ore

Crystal
habit, and
mode of
occurrence
, becomes
magnetic
when
heated,

3.5-4

2D

low
hardness,
crystal
form,
iridescent
tarnish,
brittleness

tarnishes
to an
iridescent
purple,
blue and
red

4.6-5

Cleavage
: 1D;
Conchoid
al
fracture

Nickel ore

color,
mode of
occurrence
, lack of
magnetic
properties

6-6.5

Cleavage
: 1D;
Conchoid
al to
uneven
fracture

Some
specimens
develop a
yellow
brown film
on crystal
faces

Hardness,
color, wellshaped
crystals,
heaviness,
and streak

2.0-4.0

Conchoid
al
fracture

Copper ore

bright
color,
hardness,
and habits

3-3.5

Page 5 of 11

Garnierit
e

Malachit
e

Digenite

Azurite

Ni2Mg2Si3O1
0*6H2O

Pale green
to dark
green

Cu2(CO3)(O
H)2

Bright
green, dark
green,
blackish
green,
commonly
banded in
masses

Cu9S5

Cu3(CO3)2(O
H)2

Blue to
black

Azurite-blue

No
tarnish

No
tarnish

No
tarnish

light
green

Earthy, dull,
resinous,
waxy

Pale
green

Adamantine
to vitreous,
dull to
earthy if
massive,
silky if
fibrous

Graysis
h black

Pale
blue

Sub-metallic

Vitreous to
subadamant
ine

Transluscen
t

Translucent
to opaque

Opaque

Transparent
to
transluscent

massive

Mammillar
y,
botryoidal

Intergrowt
hs with
other
copper
sulfides

botryoidal,
drusy,
earthy,
massive

Color,
habit,
luster,
soluble in
warm
hydrochlori
c acid
Green
color,
crystal
habits,
association
with
azurite,
effervesces
in acid

2.0-4.0

Subconc
hoidal
fracture

Nickel ore

3.5-4

Cleavage
: 2D;
Subconc
hoidal to
uneven
fracture

effervesces
in
hydrochlori
c acid

Cleavage
: 1D;
Conchoid
al
fracture

Occurs in
hydrotherm
al copper
deposits;
associated
with
bornite,
chalcocite,
chalcopyrit
e, pyrite;
copper ore

Color,
crystal
habit,
luster

Cleavage
: 3D;
Conchoid
al
fracture

Effervesce
s in
hydrocholri
c acid;
soluble in
ammonia

Deep blue
color,
streak,
association
with green
malachite,
effervesces
in acid

2.5-3

3.5-4

Page 6 of 11

Luzonite

Goethite

Magnetit
e

Graphite

Deep
pinkish
brown

No
tarnish

Black

Fe3+O(OH)

Blackish
brown

May be
iridescent
with
multicolor
ed
rainbow
like
display of
darker
toned
colors

Browni
sh
yellow,
yelloworange,
ocheryellow

Imperfect
adamantine
metallic to
dull earthy

Fe2+Fe23+O4

Black gray
with
brownish
tint

Black

Metallic to
submetallic,
may be dull

Cu3AsS4

Iron-black to
steel-gray

No
tarnish

No
tarnish

Black
to
steelgray

Metallic

Metallic

Opaque

Massive,
intimately
intergrown
with
energite

Opaque,
transparent
on thin
edges

aggregate
s of
capillary
to
acicular,
reniform,
botryoidal

Opaque

Skeletal,
granular,
massive

Opaque

Massive,
foliated,
scaly,
columnar,
granular,
compact,
earthy,
globular
aggregate
s

3.5

2D

dimorph of
enargite

Mode of
occurrence
, lack of
perfect
cleavage

5-5.5

Cleavage
: 2D;
Uneven
fracture

Will
become
attracted to
magnetic
fields upon
heating

Streak,
color, and
crystal
aggregate
formations

5.5-6.5

Cleavage
: 1D;
Uneven
fracture

ferromagne
tic; Iron ore

1D

low weight,
greasy
feel,
smudge,
low
hardness

1.0-2.0

attraction
to
magnets,
hardness,
and streak
greasy
feel,
smudges
the hands
when
touched,
good
conductor
of
electricity

Page 7 of 11

Stibnite

Galena

Chalcocit
e

Enargite

Sb2S3

Lead-gray

blackish
or
iridescent

PbS

Lead-gray

Cu2S

Blackish
lead-gray,
often with
bluish tinge

No
tarnish

Grayish
black to
iron-black

iredescen
t dark red
or violet
metallic
film or
dull gray
tarnish

Cu3AsS4

lead-gray

Leadgray

Leadgray

Blackis
leadgray

Graysis
h black

Metallic,
splendent
on cleavage
surface

Metallic

Metallic

Metallic to
dull

Opaque

Radiating
and
confused
groups of
acicular
crystals,
columnar,
granular,
very fine
masses

Opaque

Tabular,
reticulated
masses,
skeletal
crystals,
coarse to
very fine
granular,
fibrous,
plumose

Opaque

Prismatic,
Tabular,
striated,
massive

Opaque

Deeply
striated,
columnar,
bladed,
drusy,
grainy,
massive

Cleavage
: 3D;
Subconc
hoidal
fracture

found in
hydroherm
al
replaceme
nt deposits
and ore
veins;
Antimony
ore

crystal
habits and
formation

lead ore

steel gray
color,
extreme
heaviness,
and fine
cleavage

2.5-2.75

2D

2.5-3

Cleavage
:
Indistinct;
Conchoid
al
fracture

heaviness
and crystal
form

may
develop a
thin layer
on crystal
faces

Cleavage
: 4D;
Uneven
fracture

Found in
low to
moderate
grade
hydrotherm
al and
epithermal
vein

color,
crystal
habits,
perfect
cleavage;
Forms in
different
crystal
habits with

Page 8 of 11

respect to
tennantite

Tennantit
eTetrahed
rite

Arsenopy
rite

Molybde
nite

Flint gray to
iron black

iredescen
t with a
colorful
metallic
film or
may have
a dull
gray film

FeAsS

Silver-white
to steel gray

dark gray
tarnish,
occasion
ally
iridescent
pink and
yellow

MoS2

Silver, leadgray, bluish

lead-gray

(Cu, Ag, Zn,

Fe)12As4S13

No
tarnish

reddish
-brown,
dark
gray,
black

Graysis
h black

Bluish
gray

Opaque

Massive,
coarse to
fine
granular
to
compact

Metallic

Opaque

Compact,
granular,
columnar

Metallic

Nearly
opaque,
transluscent
in thin flakes

Foliated,
massive,
in scales

Metallic,
commonly
splendent

3-4.5

Subconc
hoidal to
uneven
fracture

found in
low to
moderate
grade
hydrotherm
al and
epithermal
vein
deposits
and in
contact
deposits

Different
crystal
habit with
enargite;
crystal
structure,
mode of
occurrence
, and lack
of cleavage

5.5-6

Cleavage
: 1D;
Uneven
fracture

tribolumine
scent,
dissolves
in nitric
acid

crsytal
habit, gives
off garlic
odor when
struck

Molybdenu
m ore

Color,
crystal
habits, and
high
flexibility

1-1.5

1D

Page 9 of 11

Hematite

Pyrolusit
e

Silver

Acanthite
Argentite

Fe2O3

Mn4+O2

Ag

Ag2S

Steel-gray

Ligh steelgray, irongray to iron

black

Silver-white

Iron-black

Iridescent

No
tarnish

gray to
black

No
tarnish

Cherryred or
reddish
brown

Black,
bluish
black

Silverwhite

Black

Metallic or
submetallic
to dull

Metallic

Metallic

Metallic

Opaque

radiating
fibrous,
reniform,
botryoidal
or
stalactitic
masses,
columnar,
earthy,
granular,
oolitic,
concretion
ary

Opaque

Columnar,
reniform,
concretion
ary,
dendritic,
granular,
massive

Opaque

Arboresce
nt,
elongated,
wiry,
reticulated
, massive,
in scales,
sheets,
and as
coatings

Opaque

Tubular,
massive

Cleavage
: 2D;
Uneven
to
subconch
oidal
fracture

Paramagn
etic

slightly
attracted to
magnetic
fields;
becomes
strongly
magnetic
when
heated;
reddish
streak,
hardness,
crystal
habit

Cleavage
: 1D;
Uneven
fracture

leaves
black
powdery
residue
upon
contact
with
surfaces

Crystal
habits,
streak, and
powdery
residual

2.5-3

Hackly
fracture

Crystal
habit,
tarnish,
conductivit
y and
ductility

color,
specific
gravity,
tarnish,
electrical
conductivit
y

2.0-2.5

Cleavage
: 3D
Indistinct;
Uneven
fracture

unique
crystal
aggregates
, tarnish,
occurrence

may
tarnish
dark gray

5.0-6.0

6-6.5

Page 10 of 11

in silver
depsotis

Chromite

Ilmenite

Fe2+Cr2O4

Fe2+TiO3

Black to
brownish
black

Iron-black

no
tarnish

No
tarnish

Brown

Black
to
reddish
brown

Metallic to
submetallic

Metallic to
submetallic

Transparent
to opaque

Opaque

fine
granular,
compact,
massive

Skeletal,
granular,
massive

5.5

Cleavage
: 1D;
Uneven
fracture

Paramagn
etic

5.0-6.0

Cleavage
: 2D;
Conchoid
al to
subconch
oidal
fracture

Slightly
attracted to
magnetic
fields

Streak,
hardness,
and slight
attraction
to
magnetic
fields
Dark
streak,
hardness,
and weak
attraction
to
magnetic
fields

Page 11 of 11