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Mineral Luster Types
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Flashcards
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Metallic Luster
Minerals with a metallic luster look like metal and are opaque. Examples include galena, pyrite, and magnetite.
Vitreous Luster
Vitreous minerals have a glass-like luster and are typically translucent to transparent. Examples include quartz, amethyst, and tourmaline.
Dull or Earthy Luster
Minerals with a dull or earthy luster have a lack of shine and reflectivity, resembling earth or chalk. Examples include kaolinite, limonite, and bauxite.
Pearly Luster
Pearly minerals have an iridescent luster similar to pearls or the inside of a seashell. Examples include talc and some forms of mica.
Silky Luster
Silky luster minerals have a fibrous appearance and sheen like silk. Example: serpentine, gypsum (satin spar variety), and ulexite.
Greasy Luster
Minerals with a greasy luster appear as if they are coated in oil. Examples include nepheline, opal, and some specimens of jadeite.
Adamantine Luster
An adamantane luster is bright and brilliant, often seen in gems with high refractive indexes. Examples include diamond, cerussite, and sphalerite.
Resinous Luster
Minerals with a resinous luster look like they are made of resin with a plastic-like sheen. Examples include sphalerite, amber, and copal.
Submetallic Luster
Submetallic minerals have a less brilliant reflection than metallic minerals and are often darker and opaque. Examples include hematite, cuprite, and ilmenite.
Waxy Luster
Waxy luster minerals have a luster resembling that of wax with a soft sheen. Examples include chalcedony, turquoise, and nephrite.
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