Okay, so let's talk about mineral color. Now, you might think mineral color is a good, simple characteristic to use for mineral identification. After all, minerals exist in all different colors, so why not use that as a jumping-off point? But the fact is, there's a problem. There's a problem with using color to identify minerals, and let me explain what that problem is. Take a look at this necklace. The beads that make up this necklace are all made of quartz, that is to say, they are all the same mineral. So, clearly quartz exists in a variety of colors. I can't count on quartz being white, blue, or green. It could be any of those colors. That poses a problem for mineral identification. Similarly, take a look at these minerals. I think you'd agree they're all purple in color. But the fact is, each of these is a different type of mineral. So, using color is not a reliable characteristic for identification. So, how do we measure the hardness of a mineral? Well, in order to do this, we need a piece of glass. Now, glass has a hardness of 5.5. It falls in the middle of the Mohs hardness scale. And I will take a mineral sample. This is a piece of potassium feldspar. And I will try and scratch the glass with the feldspar. In order to do this, you have to have the glass flat down on the table. And you take your sample and you have to push. Not only are you looking for scratches on the surface, but you're also trying to listen and feel to see if the sample is grinding into the glass or not. If it does scratch the glass, then this mineral has a hardness greater than 5.5. If it does not scratch...
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Video instructions and help with filling out and completing When Form 8865 Identifying
