Mineral and Rock Identification

olivine

- green with black speckles
- opaque
- no cleavage
- non-metallic
- softer than glass (7)

pyroxene

- opaque
- reflects light
- dark gray
- 2 directions at right angles
- softer than glass (6.5)
- non-metallic

plagioclase

- opaque
- green, white, and gray
- two direction clevage
- non-metallic
- softer than glass (5.5)

amphibol

- black with white spots
- reflects light
- 2 directions at 60 and 120
- softer than glass (3)
- non-metallic

biotite

- opaque
- reflects light
- brownish black
- 1 direction
- non-metallic

muscovite

- transparent
- flexible
- 1 direction
- soft (1)

potassium feldspar

- pinkish
- opaque
- 2 directions at 70 and 110
- harder (6)
- non-metallic

quartz

-many crystals
- multiple colors
- translucent
- 3 directions at 90
- harder (6)

calcite

- reacts with acid
- translucent
- 3 directions at 80, 100
- soft (3.5)
- non-metallic

halite

- tastes like salt
- transparent
- 3 directions at 90
- soft (2.5)

gypsum

- white
- translucent
- no cleavage
- non- metallic
- soft (1.5)
- in sheet rock

hematite

- opaque
- reddish, gray, black
- 2 directions at 90
- harder (6.5)
- metallic

magnetite

- opaque
- black
- no cleavage
- harder (6)
- metallic

galena

- shiny
- opaque
- gray
- 3 directions at right angles
- soft (<5.5)
- metallic
- state mineral of wisconsin

pyrite

- opaque
- reflects light
- multicolor
- sparkly
- 3 directions at right
- >5.5
- fools gold

talc

- opaque
- white, powdery
- no cleavage
- >5.5
- non-metallic

pumice

- extrusive
- felsic
- small grains too small to see
- aphanitic
- yellowish-orange
- igneous

granite

- mixed colors
- phaneritic
- contains quartz, kspar, muscovite
- felsic
- intrusive
- igneous

diorite

- phaneritic

-gray
- contains some quartz, plag, biotite
- intermediate
- intrusive
- igneous

andesite

- gray white
- porphyrite
- contains plag, ampibole
- intermediate
- extrusive
- igneous

rhyolite

- red, white spots
- phaneritic
- contains plag, quartz, kspar, and muscovite
- felsic
- extrusive
- igneous

basalt

- black sandy
- aphanitic
- contains pyroxene
- mafic
- extrusive
- igneous

gabbro

- black, gray, white
- phaneritic
- contains pyroxene
- mafic
- instrusive
- igneous

obsidian

- black, glassy
- aphanitic
- felsic
- extrusive
- igneous

conglomerate

- sedimentary
- clastic

-tan to brown
- gravel size grains
- large minerals

breccia

- clastic

-reddish brown
- gravel size grains
- large minerals
- sedimentary
- reddish brown

sandstone

- clastic
- sandy grains
- small minerals
- sedimentary
- porous

shale

- clastic
- clay grains

-gray, black
- super small minerals
- flat
- gray
- sedimentary

claystone

- sedimentary

-reddish, gray
- clay grains
- super small minerals
- reddish gray
- clastic

siltstone

- clastic

-brown
- silt grains
- small minerals
- sedimentary
- brownish

coal

- non clastic

-black
- no grains
- black
- grains super small
- sedimentary

chert

- non-clastic

-gray
- glassy
- gray
- no grains
- sedimentary

limestone

- non-clastic
- reacts with acid
- medium size minerals
- sedimentary

quartzite

- coarse grain

-beige, gray
- contains quartz
- metamorphic
- non-foliated

marble

- non-foliated

-mixed colors
- reacts with acid
- contains calcite
- metamorphic

slate

- metamorphic

-dark gray
- foliated
- fine grains
- low grade

schist

- foliated

-gray/silver
- coarse grain
- contains quartz, fedspar
- medium grade
- metamorphic

gneiss

- foliated

-gray, white, black
- coarse grains
- contains feldspar and quartz
- high grade
- metamorphic

phylite

- foliated

-black, gray
- fine grains
- contains mica
- medium grade
- metamorphic