Properties of Minerals

EARTH SCIENCE 7
Color
Small amounts of different elements can give the same mineral different colors
Streak
Streak is the color of a mineral in its powdered form.
Luster
Luster is used to describe how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral.
Pyrite (Fool’s Gold) displays metallic luster.
Types of Luster
Metallic -- example: gold
Vitreous (glassy) -- example: quartz, tourmaline
Adamantine (brilliant) -- example: diamond
Resinous (like resin or sap from a tree) –
example: sphalerite
Greasy or waxy -- example: turquoise
Pearly -- example: talc
Silky -- example: asbestos
Dull or earthy -- example: bauxite
Crystal Form
Crystal form is the visible expression
of a mineral’s internal arrangement of
atoms.

Minerals grow in specific shapes, and

usually crystallize
into one of six crystal systems. The axes of
the crystal,
the angles at which the axes intersect, and
the degree of
symmetry define each system.
Hardness
Hardness is a measure of the
resistance of a mineral to being
scratched.
Moh’s scale consists of 10 minerals
arranged from 10 (hardest) to 1 (softest).
Cleavage
Cleavage is the
tendency of a
mineral to cleave,
or break, along
flat, even surfaces
Fracture
2.3 Properties of Minerals
Minerals that do not show cleavage
when broken are said to fracture.

Fracture—the uneven breakage of

a mineral
Density
Density is a property of all matter that is the ratio of an
object’s mass to its volume
Specific gravity

~weight of a mineral divided by weight of an equal

volume of water
~metallic minerals tend to have higher specific gravity
than non-metallic minerals
Distinctive Properties of Minerals

1. Attraction to magnets
2. Reaction to hydrochloric acid
3. Bending of light
Gemstones
…a mineral or rock that is
RARE and has a VALUE.
Birthstones
Jan - Garnet
Feb - Amethyst
March - Aquamarine
April - Diamond
May - Emerald
June - Pearl
July - Ruby
August - Peridot
Sept - Sapphire
October - Opal
November - Topaz
December - Torquoise
Reserves
~ pre-identified deposits from which minerals can be
extracted profitably
~ deposits that are not yet recoverable under present
economic conditions or technology
Ore
~ useful metallic minerals can be mined at a profit