LUSTER

Luster refers to
the general
appearance of a
mineral surface to
reflected light. The
first thing to notice
about a mineral is
its surface
appearance,
specifically luster
and color. Luster
describes how the
mineral looks. Metallic luster looks like a shiny metal such as
chrome, steel, silver, or gold. Submetallic luster has a duller
appearance. Pewter, for example, shows submetallic luster.
Nonmetallic luster doesn’t look like metal and may be
described as vitreous (glassy), earthy, silky, pearly, and other
surface qualities. Nonmetallic minerals may be shiny,
although their vitreous shine is different from metallic luster.
Figure 4.6.3 : Luster shown on an antique pewter plate.

Two general types of luster are designated as follows:

1. Metallic – looks shiny like a metal. Usually opaque and gives black or dark colored streak.

Figure : 15 mm metallic hexagonal Molybdenite crystal from Quebec.

2. Non-metallic – Non metallic lusters are referred to as

a) Vitreous – looks glassy – examples: clear quartz, tourmaline

 Quartz crystals
b) Resinous – looks resinous – examples: sphalerite, sulfur.

Kaolin specimen showing dull or earthy luster

c) Pearly – iridescent pearl-like – example: apophyllite.

Specimen showing pearly luster

d) Greasy – appears to be covered with a thin layer of oil – example: nepheline.

Nepheline
e) Silky – looks fibrous. – examples – some gypsum, serpentine, malachite.

Specimen showing silky luster

f) Adamantine – brilliant luster like diamond.
 Specimen showing adamantine luster

References

1. https://www2.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens211/physprop.htm?fbclid=IwAR3DFHXF-
zNyuH5Jq1J-T3lREOpt4L-4gF3x_FQwhr1uhc-IOMEa2FeiULY#:~:text=We%20will%20first
%20discuss%20each,tenacity%2C%20magnetism%2C%20and%20taste
2. https://geo.libretexts.org/Courses/Gettysburg_College/Book
%3A_An_Introduction_to_Geology_(Johnson_Affolter_Inkenbrandt_and_Mosher)/
04%3A_Minerals/4.06%3A_Identifying_Minerals
3. https://www.britannica.com/science/nepheline
4. https://www.le-comptoir-geologique.com/adamantine-glossary.html