Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences

Light Colored Minerals with Non-Metallic Lusters, Harder than Glass, no Cleavage

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PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

MINERAL NAME, FORMULA

GREEN, brown, yellow color; vitreous luster; GENERALLY GRANULAR; heavy; H=6.OLIVINE,  
  (Mg,Fe)2SiO4
Most commonly COLORLESS, LIGHT GRAY, or WHITE, but can be any color including purple, pink, yellow, etc. CONCHOIDAL FRACTURE; vitreous luster; H=7; may have crystal faces.QUARTZ,  
  SiO2
RED, PINK, most common, but can be brown, black, even green; vitreous luster; H=7-7.5; often equant crystals; may exhibit "parting" which can be confused with cleavage.GARNET,  
 (Mg,Fe,Ca)3Al2Si3O12