Mineral Properties Flashcards
Property: The common external morphology that a mineral assumes during an unobstructed growth wether isolated or in aggregates
HABIT
A habit that is diskette like or tablet crystal somewhat flattened in one direction
TABULAR
A habit that is pillar like or stubby like of an elongated crystal with well developed prism
PRISMATIC
a habit that is needle like and slightly thicker than fliform
ACICULAR
A hair like habit
CAPILLARY
A thin wire habit
FLIFORM
A habit that exhibits narrow bands of different colors as textures
BANDED
A crystal habit exhibiting a stout - column like individuals
COLUMNAR
Property: An assemblage of isolated habit of same crystals or multiple crystals closely adjacent to one another produces an assemblage of similar crystals
AGGREGATES HABITS
An aggregrate habit resembles somewhat bunches of grapes
BOTRYOIDAL
An aggregate habit of plates approximately parallel about a common center
CONCENTRIC
A crystal aggregate of separate from a thicker stem into several more slender ones, similar to branches which divide into smaller sheets
DENDRITIC
An aggregate where prismatic crystals are radiating from a center or common area
DIVERGENT
An aggregate where surfaced layers are covered with small crystals
DRUSY
An aggregate or groups of parallel slender thread-like strands; need not be easily separable.
Hefferan : Parallel arrangement of Acicular or fliform crystals
FIBROUS
An aggregate that separates easily into plates or leaves
FOLIATED
A common expression of aggregates with cavity line of small crystals
GEODE
An aggregates of large or small grains.
Hefferan: sub - equant macroscopic crystal aggregate a granular appearance.
GRANULAR
An aggregate of radiating individuals forming small spherical or hemispherical groups
GLOBULAR
An aggregate of rounded masses similar to the botryoidal form but the protuberances are more flattened
MAMILLARY
Compact crystalline aggregates with no regular forms.
Hefferan: Aggregate of very small with a fine-grained appearance.
MASSIVE
An aggregate of splitting readily into exceedingly thin plates or sheets
MICACEOUS
aggregate of small sphere the size of fish roe
Hefferan: spherical, concentrically layered, sand sized (<2mm)
OOLITIC
small globular aggregates about the size of peas or in round concretionary grains
Hefferan: spherical, concentrically layered, gravel sized aggregates
PISOLITIC
An aggregate of rounded grape- like or kidney-shaped masses
RENIFORM
An aggregate of lattice-like or network arrangement of slender columnar or threads.
Hefferan: Lattice work of tabular to bladed crystals
RETICULATED
An aggregate of grains having the size of granulated sugar grains
Saccharoidal
An aggregateresembling pendant cylinders or cones
STALACTITIC
An aggregate forming a radiating individuals forming star-like or circular groups
STELLATED
Property of a mineral surface which results from the manner it reflects the incident light
Luster
Luster: dazzling luster recognizable even at a considerable distance connected with smooth and generally even surface
Splendent
Luster: distinctly observed only on closer observation and is generally related to an uneven sample
Shining
Luster: feebly appearing luster even within a short distance
Weakly Shining
Luster: when only a feeble light is reflected by some of the minute aggregated parts constituting the surface
Glimmering
Luster: surface does not reflect any light
Dull
Luster: bright reflectance of a metallic surface
Metallic Luster
Luster: duller reflectance observed when most of the light passes into the mineral and only a small portion of the incident light is reflected from the surface
Non Metallic
Luster: piece of broken glass
Vitreous or glassy luster
Luster: Brilliant or almost Oily
Adamantine or the luster of diamond
luster: lusterof a piece of resin, greasy luster
Resinous or waxy
Luster: common when a mineral has a very perfect cleavage and hence partially separated into thin plates
Pearly
luster: characteristic of some minerals in fibrous aggregates
Silky, the luster of a skin of silk or a piece of satin
Relative ability of minerals to allow light to pass through them
Diaphaneity
Diaphaneity: when all objects may be distinctly recognized through a large or small pieces of it.
Transparent
Diaphaneity: when a blurred image of the object can be seen through a thin small piece of it.
Semitransparent
Diaphaneity: where no object can be perceived through it but light is transmitted only through the edges of a large piece or through a small piece.
If the mineral shines through the extremities or edges when held against the light, it is said to be translucent at the edge.
Translucent
Diaphaneity: when no perceptible degree of light is transmitted even through the thinnest piece.
Opaque
ratio of velocity of light in air and its lesser velocity
in the dense medium
When light passes form one medium into another of greater refractive index, it is reflected, that is bent toward the normal, to the surface.
The greater the bending, the higher the refractive index
Refractive index
The effect produced by the combination of wavelengths of light incident on the surface of the mineral reaching the observer’s eyes
Color
a play of colors or colored reflections exhibited especially
by labradorite and caused by internal structures that selectively reflect only certain colors
LABRADORESCENCE (SCHILLER EFFECT)
Colors: transition elements
- V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu
Chromophores
exhibits internally the various prismatic colors when the mineral is turned
Play of Colors
appearance of different colors when an crystal is viewed in transmitted light in different directions
Pleiochroism
two directions have distinct colors
Dichroism
pearly reflection from the interior of a mineral, like the effect of a glass of water to which a few drops of milk have been added
Opalescence
shows a series of colors due to light undergoing reflective interferences with itself either on the surface or in the interior.
Iridiscence
band of light moves from side to side as in a cat’s eye
chayotancy
Colors: six-pointed star, formed by a beam of light at right angles to each set of inclusions
Asterisms
on exposure to ultraviolet light, a mineral emits visible
light
Flourescence
some fluorescent minerals will continue to glow after the ultraviolet light has been turned off
Phosphorescence
some minerals when heated below red heat will emit visible light
Thermoluminescence
some minerals when rubbed or struck with a hammer will emit light
ex. Milky quartz rubbed against each other
Triboluminscence
Color of the powder of the mineral
streak
A marked tendency to break or split easily in certain well-defined directions yielding more or less smooth surfaces which are parallel to the crystal faces or possible crystal system
Crystal surface should also be categorized as well or poorly developed depending on the ease and neatness on the way cleavage planes cleave or separate.
Cleavage
A plane of structural weakness in a mineral
PARTING
The appearance of the surface of a mineral when it does not break along cleavage planes
Fracture
Fracture: if the surface is not interrupted by many noticeable protuberances but with few small scales
Scaly
Fracture: – if the surface has no protuberances or very few indeterminate and mostly flat ones
Even
Fracture: if the surface consists of flat rounded protuberances accompanied by circular grooves as in clam shells.
Conchoidal
Fracture: also angular or irregular) – if the surface is entirely interrupted by angular large and small protuberances
Uneven
Fracture: if surface is jagged and with sharp edge
Hackly
Fracture: certain larger parts resembling fibers can be
distinguished on the surface as in wood
Fibrous
Fracture: if surface is made up of parts resembling planes with length and breadth nearly equal (folia)
Foliated
Hardness: hardness of Fingernail
2.5
Hardness: Hardness of copper penny
3.5
Hardness: hardness of glass or knife blade
5.5
A number which expresses the ratio between the weight of the mineral and the weight of an equal volume of water at 4
degrees Celsius
Specific gravity
crystallography controlled intergrowths of 2 or more crystals of the same mineral
Twinning
whether there is a center, a plane, or an axis of twinning and gives the crystallographic orientation for the twin axis or plane
Twin law
an imaginary axis about which the crystals can be rotated to bring into coincidence with the other.
Twin Axis
is a point about which the crystal may be inverted to bring into coincidence with the other.
Twin Center
is a mirror plane reflecting the image of one crystal across it.
Twin plane
a surface or plane on which the two individuals are united
Composition Surface
Fizzling sound heard, combined with bubbling seen where a carbonate mineral reacts with an acid.
Effervescence
can be flattened
Tenacity
can be changed in shape by pressure; capable of being drawn into the form of a wire
Ductility
can be cut by a knife
Sectility
separates into fragments
Brittleness
capable of being bent or pulled out of shape
Elasticity
bend easily and stays bent after the pressured is removed
Flexibility
property of a mineral to be attracted to a hand magnet
Magnetism
strongly attached
Ferromagnetism
slightly attracted
Paramagnetic
not attracted
Diamagnetic
mineral that lack the presence of a transition metal or other magnetic ions
Diamagnetic
magnetic ions in a mineral have a completely random orientation
Paramagnetic
natural tendency for pairs of magnetic ions to align in opposite directions so that there is spin paring between adjacent magnetic ions
Antiferromagnetism
there is an excess of magnetic ions aligned in one particular direction.
Ferrimagnetism ( found in magnetite and pyrrhotite)
there is an excess of magnetic ions aligned in one particular direction.
Piezoelectricity
induced by heating crystals lacking a symmetric center.
Pyroelectricity
taste of common salt
Saline
soda
Alkaline
Epsom Salt
Bitter
Acid
Sour
Iron Vitriol
Astringent
Alum
Sweetish Astringent
Saltpeter
Cooling
Garlic odor
Arsenopyrite
Fetid odor or odor of rotten eggs
due to the presence of surface ex. Some varieties of limestone, barite, quartz
