Properties of Common Minerals

FRACTURE
CLEAVAGE
HARD- COMMON DISTINGUISHING
LUSTER NESS COLORS CHARACTERISTICS USE(S) COMPOSITION* MINERAL NAME
1–2 silver to black streak, pencil lead,
! gray greasy feel lubricants
C Graphite
Metallic luster

metallic gray-black streak, cubic cleavage, ore of lead,

2.5 ! silver density = 7.6 g/cm3 batteries
PbS Galena

black to black streak, ore of iron,

5.5 – 6.5 ! silver magnetic steel
Fe3O4 Magnetite

brassy green-black streak, ore of

6.5 ! yellow (fool’s gold) sulfur
FeS2 Pyrite

5.5 – 6.5 metallic silver or ore of iron,

Either

or 1 ! earthy red
red-brown streak
jewelry
Fe2O3 Hematite

white to ceramics,
1 ! green
greasy feel
paper
Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 Talc

yellow to
2 ! amber
white-yellow streak sulfuric acid S Sulfur

white to easily scratched plaster of paris,

2 ! pink or gray by fingernail drywall
CaSO4•2H2O Selenite gypsum

colorless to flexible in
2 – 2.5 ! yellow thin sheets
paint, roofing KAl3Si3O10(OH)2 Muscovite mica

colorless to cubic cleavage, food additive,

2.5 ! white salty taste melts ice
NaCl Halite

black to flexible in construction K(Mg,Fe)3

2.5 – 3 ! dark brown thin sheets materials Biotite mica
AlSi3O10(OH)2
colorless bubbles with acid, cement,
3 ! or variable rhombohedral cleavage lime
CaCO3 Calcite
Nonmetallic luster

colorless bubbles with acid building

3.5 ! or variable when powdered stones
CaMg(CO3)2 Dolomite

colorless or cleaves in hydrofluoric

4 ! variable 4 directions acid
CaF2 Fluorite

black to cleaves in mineral collections, (Ca,Na) (Mg,Fe,Al) Pyroxene

5–6 ! dark green 2 directions at 90° jewelry (Si,Al)2O6 (commonly augite)
black to cleaves at mineral collections, CaNa(Mg,Fe)4 (Al,Fe,Ti)3 Amphibole
5.5 ! dark green 56° and 124° jewelry (commonly hornblende)
Si6O22(O,OH)2
white to cleaves in ceramics, Potassium feldspar
6 ! pink 2 directions at 90° glass
KAlSi3O8
(commonly orthoclase)
white to cleaves in 2 directions, ceramics,
6 ! gray striations visible glass
(Na,Ca)AlSi3O8 Plagioclase feldspar

green to commonly light green furnace bricks,

6.5 ! gray or brown and granular jewelry
(Fe,Mg)2SiO4 Olivine

colorless or glassy luster, may form glass, jewelry,

7 ! variable hexagonal crystals electronics
SiO2 Quartz

dark red often seen as red glassy grains jewelry (NYS gem),
6.5 – 7.5 ! to green in NYS metamorphic rocks abrasives
Fe3Al2Si3O12 Garnet

*Chemical symbols: Al = aluminum Cl = chlorine H = hydrogen Na = sodium S = sulfur

C = carbon F = fluorine K = potassium O = oxygen Si = silicon
Ca = calcium Fe = iron Mg = magnesium Pb = lead Ti = titanium

! = dominant form of breakage

Physical Setting/Earth Science Reference Tables — 2011 Edition 16