Other Prospect Tests

Besides the common tests that we have already mentioned, there are other mineral identification guides that add on a few more. Some of the ones that prospectors commonly use are:

Play of colors: A lot of minerals will show different colors or grades of color when they are turned around in a steady source of lighting such as in the case of labrodorite.

Asterism: An asterism is an optical phenomenon exhibited by some rubies, sapphires, and other gems of a superior reflective area in the shape of a "star" on the surface of a cabochon cut from the stone.

Luminescence: A lot has been said about luminescence and it is better to leave it as a special type of prospecting. There are some minerals that will glow when they are exposed to ultraviolet rays making them fluorescent, and there are others that will keep on glowing in the dark after the light has been taken away making them phosphorescent.

Magnetism: There are a great number of minerals that are mainly made out of iron and can be attracted by a magnet. In some occasions the mineral acts as a magnet. Magnetite, something a lot of prospectors highly dislike in gold placering is sometimes gotten rid of from concentrated sands by using a magnet.

Transparency: This mainly has to do with the facility of light to pass through a mineral. Translucent means that a bit of light is able to pass through however an object can’t be seen through the mineral. Transparent means that light can pass through and objects can be seen through it. Opaque means that no light can be seen through the mineral.

The items that were just mentioned above are all different and basic ways of identifying minerals however keep in mind that there are some exceptions to the crystal units of minerals. Almost all minerals will harden like crystals however there are some that cannot crystallize and can be found in the form of a hardened gel. These are commonly known as amorphous and the most known of specimen in this category is opal.

We know that this is just a basic example and explanation on how to identify minerals but we hope that it will give you enough information so that you will be able to identify the most common minerals you find on your exploration trips.