Mineral and Rock Identification

Crystal Quartz

Pure Crystalline Silica, Huge Crystal, clear, Optics

Milky Quartz

Rougher, shiny, Whitest rock, Pottery and paints, Pinkish spots

Hornblende Amphibole

Smoother, lateral lines of formation, Road asphalt/ building stone

Sphalerite

Shines in light, greenish spots, Zinc ore, black and gray parts sparkle, Much lighter than galena

Microcline (Orthoclase)

Looks like sandstone, white flakes, With grain- smooth, against- rough, Ceramics

Plagioclase Feldspar (Labradorite)

Slightly shiny, rough, Shines in light, Soda lime feldspar common in gabbro, diorites, and basalts, Road asphalt, more reflective than mescovite

Muscovite

Super Thin, Wallpaper or insulation

Chalcopyrite

Gold very distinct, Copper ore

Galena

Very shiny, smooth and silver appearance, Extremely heavy, Lead ore

Calcite

Very smooth rectangular faces, concrete

Limonite

Rusty, Iron ore

Hematite - Ferric Oxide

Stealth gray, subtle sparkles in light, Iron ore, bold coloring, smoothish

Magnetite

Shiny, looks like magnet shavings, Very distinct sparkles in light, Iron ore

Gypsum

Light pinkish, drywall

Pyrite

Chrome color, Fool's Gold, sulfuric acid production

Garnet

Little Red crystals in rough black rock, Jewelry and abrasives

Graphite

Leaves streaks, Used as 'lead' in pencils

Talc

Flakes out if scratched, talcum powder

Obsidian

Smooth, darkest rock, Dark glass, Igneous

Rhyolite

Light gray, smooth with some sparkles, Cement block, Looks more like concrete than the sandstone, Igneous

Bauxite

Only red with multiple colors, Little circles throughout, Aluminum ore

Halite

More see through than 4 and 40, Salt, Very smooth

Biotite

Granite, Has pinkish spots unlike hornblende, Igneous

Hornblende Syenite

No streak, Igneous, Looks like an oreo

Basalt

Dark gray, some light gray speckles, Igneous, Sides are smooth

Gabbro

Not smooth or rough, yellow and white spots, Igneous

Chert

Very smooth, light gray with little yellow, Sedimentary

Gravel

Dark gray, very smooth as well, Probably in vile on test, Sedimentary

Bituminous Coal

Charcoal, Sedimentary

Conglomerate

Gold based, seems like bunch of little rocks Combined, Sedimentary

Red Sandstone

gray speckles when held to light, Sedimentary, Uniform, lightest pink rock

Argillaceous Sandstone

Smoothish, black on bottom, Sedimentary, Lightest solid gray rock

Shell Limestone

Almost feels like a fossil, Shiny sand color, Sedimentary, Reminds me of a sea shell

Quartzite

Pink and gray, almost looks like a raw steak, Metamorphic

Argillaceous Shale

Dark gray, very smooth, Sedimentary, Uniform, Will be flat

Dolomitic Limestone

sedimentary, Silver sparkles when held up

White Marble

Little more glossy than milky quartz, Dirty white color, Metamorphic, shines more in light than 4

Mica-Schist

Shiniest gray stone when held up, Metamorphic, Cleavage, shiniest gray rock

Gneiss

Black streaks/lines, not many dots, Foliated, lines are difference from syenite, Metamorphic

Slate

Feels/looks like brick, Metamorphic