Luster: metallic or submetallic

Cleavage or Fracture: cleavage

Streak: black

Hardness: 1 – 2

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.23)

General Appearance: black, silver color

Other Properties: flexible, slippery, opaque

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous, pearly

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture

Streak: white

Hardness: 3.5 – 4

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.85)

General Appearance: gray, green, white, pink, and some other colors

Other Properties: HCI fizz with powder, transparent/translucent

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous to adamantine

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture, distinct conchoidal pattern

Streak: colorless

Hardness: 9

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 4.02)

General Appearance: brown, pink, and some other colors

Other Properties: sometimes has hexagonal crystals

Luster: non-metallic, feel flaky => vitreous, pearly

Cleavage or Fracture: cleavage in one direction

Streak: colorless to white

Hardness: 2.5 – 3

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.8 – 3.2)

General Appearance: black, dark brown, silver, dark green to yellow

Other Properties: elastic, a lot of flakes, thin cleavage sheets

Luster: non-metallic => dull, earthy

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture, one direction (usually indistinct, often irregular, uneven or conchoidal)

Streak: white

Hardness: 3.5 – 4

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.0 – 2.5)

General Appearance: white, gray, yellowish colors, chalk-like sensation

Other Properties: slightly flexible but inelastic, crumble when dry

Luster: metallic or submetallic

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture

Streak: black

Hardness: 6

Specific Gravity: High (How much: 5.18)

General Appearance: red, yellow, brown, black, silver colors

Other Properties: strongly magnetic, opaque

Luster: metallic to dull

Cleavage or Fracture: cleavage perfect in 4 directions forming cubes, fracture is uneven and rarely seen

Streak: lead gray

Hardness: 2.5+

Specific Gravity: High (How much: 7.5)

General Appearance: black, lead to silver, gray, sometimes with a blueish tint, glossy-looking

Other Properties: opaque, brighter metallic luster on cleavage surfaces than crystal surfaces

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous, pearly, dull, earthy

Cleavage or Fracture: 3 directions at 90 degrees

Streak: white

Hardness: 2 – 2.5 (chalky, falls apart when touched)

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.16)

General Appearance: clear, white, gray, blue, red colors

Other Properties: transparent, water-soluble, tastes salty

Luster: non-metallic => dull, earthy

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture

Streak: white

Hardness: 1 – 3

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.00 – 2.55)

General Appearance: orange, brown, gray, black

Other Properties: pisolitic, translucent, opaque

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous

Cleavage or Fracture: 2 directions at 90 degrees

Streak: white

Hardness: 6

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.6 – 2.8)

General Appearance: green, gray, white, clear, blue colors

Other Properties: distinct patterns on one side (diagonal lines) => striations on cleavage face

Luster: metallic

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture => hackly 

Streak: brown/red/orange/ copper-red, shiny streak

Hardness: 2.5 – 3 

Specific Gravity: High (How much: 8.93)

General Appearance: red, brown, slightly-brass-looking, tarnish green, sometimes also has blue or black colors

Other Properties: unique color, great malleability and ductiling

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture => conchoidal

Streak: colorless

Hardness: 7

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.65)

General Appearance: any colors

Other Properties: sometimes has hexagonal crystals, transparent to translucent

Luster: metallic

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture => conchoidal

Streak: black

Hardness: 6 – 6.5

Specific Gravity: High (How much: 5.02)

General Appearance: yellow, brown colors, sparkly on some sides

Other Properties: sometimes in crystal shapes, opaque

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture

Streak: colorless

Hardness: 7 – 7.5

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 3.02 – 3.2)

General Appearance: black, green, yellow, brown, pink colors

Other Properties: sometimes striations, transparent to translucent

Luster: non-metallic => vitreous, pearly, greasy-looking

Cleavage or Fracture: fracture, perfect in one direction, 2 indistinct

Streak: white

Hardness: 2

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 2.3 – 2.4)

General Appearance: clear to white, gray, brown, red, and some other colors

Other Properties: translucent/transparent, sometimes as fibrous masses

Luster: non-metallic => dull earthy

Cleavage or Fracture: cleavage in 2 directions but NOT at 90 degrees

Streak: colorless

Hardness: 7 – 7.5

Specific Gravity: Low (How much: 3.65 – 3.75)

General Appearance: black, grayish, reddish-brown colors

Other Properties: stubby or cross-shaped crystals

Texture: porous (vesicular, spongy)

Minerals present: Ca-rich, Pyroxene, Olivine, Amphibole

Cooling history: rapid cooling + release of gas

Source of magma:  Mafic

Tectonic settings: volcano ice island arc, Andean-type mountains, mid-ocean ridges, continental rifts, oceanic hotspot island, oceanic floors, continents

Texture: coarse-grained (phaneritic)

Minerals present: Ca-rich, Pyroxene, Olivine, Amphibole

Cooling history: slow cooling, generally intrusive

Source of magma:  Mafic

Tectonic settings: continents

Texture: fine-grained (aphanitic)

Minerals present: Ca-rich, Pyroxene, Olivine, Amphibole

Cooling history: rapid cooling, generally extrusive

Source of magma:  Mafic

Tectonic settings: volcano ice island arc, Andean-type mountains, mid-ocean ridges, continental rifts, oceanic hotspot island, oceanic floors, continents

Texture: coarse-grained (phaneritic)

Minerals present: Orthoclase, Quartz, Na-rich, Muscovite, Biotite, Amphibole

Cooling history: slow cooling, generally intrusive

Source of magma:  Felsic

Tectonic settings: continental collision zones, continents

Texture: glossy, glassy

Minerals present: Orthoclase, Quartz, Na-rich, Plagioclase, Ca-rich, Muscovite, Biotite, Amphibole

Cooling history: extremely rapid cooling, generally intrusive

Source of magma:  Intermediate 

Tectonic settings: volcano ice island arc, Andean-type mountains

Texture: fine-grained (aphanitic)

Minerals present: Orthoclase, Quartz, Na-rich, Muscovite, Biotite, Amphibole

Cooling history: rapid cooling, generally extrusive

Source of magma:  Felsic

Tectonic settings: volcano ice island arc, Andean-type mountains, mid-ocean ridges, continental rifts, continental collision zones

Texture: porous (vesicular), striations sides

Minerals present: Orthoclase, Quartz, Na-rich, Plagioclase, Ca-rich, Muscovite, Biotite, Amphibole

Cooling history: rapid cooling + release of gas

Source of magma:  Intermediate 

Tectonic settings: volcano ice island arc

Texture: pegmatitic

Minerals present: Orthoclase, Quartz, Na-rich, Plagioclase, Ca-rich, Muscovite, Biotite, Amphibole

Cooling history: very slow cooling or cooling from an extremely fluid magma

Source of magma:  Intermediate

Tectonic settings: continental collision zones, continents

Components: Chemical

Minerals/rock fragment present: Halite

Appearance: clear/quartz-looking

Transporting agent: Water

Depositional Environment: Ringing dry lake beds, inland marginal seas, enclosed bays, estuaries in arid regions

Components: Chemical

Minerals/rock fragment present: Quartz

Appearance: reddish color

Transporting agent: Water (the ocean floor)

Depositional Environment: Deep marine

Components: Biochemical

Minerals/rock fragment present: Calcite

Appearance: white color, chalky

Transporting agent: Water (the ocean floor)

Depositional Environment: Deep marine

Components: Biochemical

Minerals/rock fragment present: Calcite

Appearance: shell-layered looking; color: brownish/tan

Transporting agent: Sea waves, washout over stream fans

Depositional Environment: Tropical,/subtropical marine/lacustrine environment

Components: Biochemical

Minerals/rock fragment present: Calcite

Appearance: reddish/brownish color

Transporting agent: Water (the ocean floor)

Depositional Environment: Deep marine

Components: Biochemical

Minerals/rock fragment present: Calcite

Appearance: grayish color, shell-fossil

Transporting agent: Water (the ocean floor)

Depositional Environment: Deep marine

Components: Organic

Minerals/rock fragment present: Carbon

Appearance: black color, coal-like

Transporting agent: Water 

Depositional Environment: Swamp

Components: Clastic

Minerals/rock fragment present: Silicate Minerals

Texture: Clay-like

Grain size: less than 0.004

Sorting: Very well sorted

Grain shape: Rounded

Appearance: black, grayish color

Transporting agent: Water

Depositional Environment: Coastal Delta

Components: Clastic

Minerals/rock fragment present: Silicate Minerals

Texture: Sand

Grain size: 0.063-2

Sorting: Moderately sorted

Grain shape: Subangular

Appearance: grayish

Transporting agent: Water, Wind-blown

Depositional Environment: Fluvial (River), Dessert Dune, Beach

Components: Clastic

Minerals/rock fragment present: Silicate Minerals

Texture: Silt

Grain size: 0.004-0.062

Grain shape: Rounded

Sorting: Well sorted

Appearance: brown, red color

Transporting agent: Water (low-energy flow), Mud&Sand

Depositional Environment: Near the old delta, lake, or seashore

Components: Clastic

Minerals/rock fragment present: Silicate Minerals

Texture: Sand

Grain size: 0.063-2

Sorting: Moderately sorted

Grain shape: Subrounded

Appearance: tan/nude color

Transporting agent: Water (River system)

Depositional Environment: Beach

Components: Clastic

Minerals/rock fragment present: Silicate Minerals

Texture: Boulders/Cobbles/Pebbles

Grain size: 0.063-2; rounded clasts

Sorting: Poorly sorted

Grain shape: Rounded

Appearance: brownish, grayish color

Transporting agent: Water (River system), Sand & Mud (flash floods)

Depositional Environment: Fluvial (River), Alluvial fan

Foliated: YES

Texture: Layered and aligned

Grain size: Medium to coarse

Grain shape: Subangular

Minerals present: Alternating light and dark layers

Possible Protolith: Schist

Metamorphic Grade: High

Type of metamorphism: Regional

Appearance: gray, white, black colors

Foliated: YES

Texture: Aligned minerals

Grain size: Coarse

Grain shape: Subangular

Minerals present: Micas

Possible Protolith: Phyllite

Metamorphic Grade: High

Type of metamorphism: Regional

Appearance: shiny/sparkly, copper-color alike

Foliated: NO 

Texture: Interlocking equant grains with no preferred orientation

Grain size: Fine to Medium

Grain shape: Subrounded

Minerals present: Quartz

Possible Protolith: Sandstone

Metamorphic Grade: Medium to High

Type of metamorphism: Burial

Appearance: pale-looking

Foliated: NO 

Texture: Interlocking equant grains with no preferred orientation

Grain size: Nearly glassy

Grain shape: Subrounded

Minerals present: Graphite

Possible Protolith: Coal

Metamorphic Grade: Medium to High

Type of metamorphism: Burial

Appearance: glossy glassy

Foliated: YES

Texture: Aligned minerals

Grain size: Very Fine

Grain shape: Rounded

Minerals present: Micas

Possible Protolith: Shale or Mudstone

Metamorphic Grade: Low

Type of metamorphism: Regional

Appearance: thin sheet (platy?), white lines pattern

Foliated: YES

Texture: Aligned minerals

Grain size: Fine

Grain shape: Subrounded

Minerals present: Micas

Possible Protolith: Slate

Metamorphic Grade: Low

Type of metamorphism: Regional

Appearance: gray with a tint of blue/green, well-layered, a little sparkly not too obvious