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B.Sc (Hons) III Mineralogy Lecture-1

A mineral is a substance having a definite chemical composition and atomic

structure and is formed by the inorganic processes of nature.
Synthetic diamond & Ruby
Ice & Water
Elemental mercury
Refined sugar
Window glass & quartz
Rust & Goethite
Coal & petroleum
Time & temperature sets them apart from others!

There are >5000 Minerals!

Physical Properties of Minerals (hand specimen identification)

Colour:

Body absorbs all colours and reflects red we see red

If it absorbs all we see only Black
If it reflects all we see white!
Elements that give colour are called chromopores.
<0.1% Fe or Cu
Streak:
Colour of its powder; it can be different from mineral!
e.g.black haematite can give red streak.
Streak plate is made of unglazed porcelain
Play of colours: When looked in different directions gives different colours. E.g.
diamond, feldspar (interference of light reflected by thin plates of other
minerals as inclusions).
Opalascence: Pearly or milky appearance shown by opal or moonstone
Iridescence: Display of prismatic clours due to interference of rays of light in incipient
fractures eg. Quartz, calcite
Tarnish: Some minerals tarnish on surface due to oxidation eg. Chalcopyrite and exhibit
iridescent colours. Just scratch it!
Lustre: Amount of reflection of light
e.g. metallic- metal; vitreous- broken glass e.g. calcite; pearly talc
Silky lustre e.g. gypsum, satin spar; Adamantine e.g. diamond
Diaphaneity (ability to transmit light)
Transparent: Rock crystal
Translucent: many minerals
Opaque: ore minerals
Luminescence is ability of mineral to emit light after exposure: it is of following
types

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Phosphorescence e.g. diamond &
Fluorescence e.g. fluorspar, scheelite
Thermoluminesce e.g tourmaline
Form: Under favourable conditions minerals adopt definite geometric forms called
crystals
e.g. Crystalline, cryptocrystalline, amorphous
Also may be as follows:
Acicular, amygdaloidal, bladed, botryoidal, scaly, reniform, dendritic etc.
Cleavage: Breaking along preferred orientation due to weakness in chemical bonds;
cleavage is parallel to it.
Minerals can have many cleavages:
e.g. biotite, gypsum - one cleavge
kyanite- 2 cleavages
halite 3
fluorite 4
quartz none
Hardness (H):Minerals resistence to abrasion.
Mohs scale of hardness e.g Freidrich Moh- Austrian mineralogist
Hardness is related to the bond strength of a mineral. It is usually the same in all
directions. But exceptions exist; Kyanite hardness varies from 4-6!
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