Minerals

NH State Mineral: Beryl NH State Gem: Smokey Quartz

Physical Properties
Quartz
Crystal Shape Hexagonal
Luster Nonmetallic (Vitreous)
Color Clear to Milky
Streak No Streak
Hardness H=7
No Cleavage
Cleavage Conchoidal
Fracture S.P. = 2.65
Specific
 Crystal Shape
Crystal form(or shape) is the outward expression
of a mineral’s orderly internal arrangement of
atoms.

The cubic shape of halite (salt) crystals results from

the regular arrangement of sodium and chlorine
atoms forming the crystal.
 Luster
Luster is the way light is reflected from the surface of the
mineral. It is the way a mineral shines or doesn’t shine.
Minerals can have metallic or non-metallic luster.

Hematite occurs in both metallic and non-metallic varieties

 Color
Color, the wavelength of light reflected from the mineral’s surface,
is not always an effective property for identifying minerals.

Sulfur is always yellow

so its color is always a Quartz occurs in many colors as seen
distinguishing property. in the pictures above, so you must use
other properties to identify it.
 Streak
Streak is color of the mineral in powder form. It is
tested by rubbing a metallic mineral across a
piece of unglazed porcelain called a streak plate.

Hematite (Fe2O3) has

a reddish-brown
streak whether the
sample is metallic or
non-metallic in
appearance.
 Hardness
Hardness is a mineral’s ability to resist abrasion or scratching. One
mineral (or common object) of known hardness is scratched against
another mineral, the harder mineral will leave a scratch in the softer
mineral. The Moh’s Hardness Scale arranges common minerals by
relative hardness.
 Cleavage
Cleavage is when a mineral breaks into flat surfaces
along planes of weak bonding in the crystal structure.

Fluorite (CaF2), an
octahedral
crystal, breaks
along four
cleavage planes.
 Fracture
Fracture is the way a mineral breaks when it
doesn’t break along cleavage planes.

Quartz has conchoidal Asbestos has splintery

fracture. or fibrous fracture.
 Specific Gravity
Specific Gravity is the weight of a mineral compared to the
weight of an equal volume of water.

Potassium Feldspar (KAl2Si3O8)

has a specific gravity of 2.65 and
Galena (PbS) has a a specific
gravity of 7.6.
 Native Elements
Native elements are minerals composed of only one element.

Sulfur (S) Diamond (C) Graphite (C) Gold(Au)

Silver (Ag) Copper (Cu) Platinum (Pt)

Ten Most Abundant Elements in the Earth’s Crust
O Oxygen
Si
Silicon Muscovite Potassium
Al Iron K2Al4[Si6Al2O20](OH,F) 4
Feldspar
(KAl2Si 3O 8)
Aluminum
CalciumFe
Ca Sodium
Potassium Augite
Na Magnesium
Mg Limonite (Ca,Na,Mg,Fe+2,Fe+3,
K Titanium
Ti
FeO(H2O) 2 Al,Ti)2{(Si,Al)2O6}
H