# Mineral Identification Guide: 5 Field Diagnostic Tests & Regional BC Profiles

Category: Mineral Identification  
URL slug: /education/identification.html  
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## The 5-step physical diagnostic protocol

Effective field identification requires a systematic approach. These five tests classify most common minerals without lab equipment.

### Step 1: Mohs scratch hardness

- Fingernail (~2.5): scratches gypsum or talc.
- Copper penny (~3.5): scratches calcite but not fluorite.
- Pocket knife steel blade (~5.5): scratches glass and some silicates.
- Unglazed glass plate (~6.5): used to test harder minerals.

Microcrystalline quartz varieties — jasper, chert, chalcedony — typically test 6.5–7.0. They scratch glass and resist a steel knife.

### Step 2: Streak testing

Drag the mineral across an unglazed porcelain tile.

- Hematite: reddish-brown streak.
- Pyrite: greenish-black streak.
- Native gold: golden-yellow streak.

### Step 3: LED translucency & edge-lighting

- Translucent: light through the edges — chalcedony and agate.
- Opaque: light blocked — siltstone, argillite, or dense chert.

### Step 4: Longwave UV fluorescence (365 nm)

Calcite veining often fluoresces white, yellow, or red. Inert silica typically does not react.

### Step 5: Dilute acid reaction (fizz test)

- Carbonates (calcite / limestone): vigorous fizz.
- Silicates: no visible reaction.

A drop is enough. Neutralize and pack the bottle out. Never test a finished jewelry face.

## Regional species profiles of the South Okanagan & Similkameen

### Red & polychrome jasper
Microcrystalline silica colored by iron oxides. Conchoidal fracture. Mohs 6.5–7.0. Swirling red, brown, and tan.

### Okanagan golden & yellow jasper
Limonite infusions in cryptocrystalline quartz. Warm, earthy saturation.

### Chalcedony & agate
Waxy luster and translucent edges. Agates are banded from rhythmic deposition in cavities.

### Black chert, argillite & siltstone
Fine-grained, often dark from organic carbon. Opaque. Lack the waxy luster of true chalcedony.

### Optical calcite / Iceland spar
Rhombohedral cleavage, double refraction, Mohs 3.0, vigorous acid fizz.

### Galena & sulfide ores
Metallic luster, high density, perfect cubic cleavage into 90-degree steps.

## Diagnostic master table: real gold vs. pyrite & common sulfides

| Criteria | Native gold (Au) | Pyrite (FeS2) | Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) | Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Color & tarnish | Golden yellow; no tarnish | Pale brassy yellow; may tarnish brown | Brassy to peacock iridescent | Silver-white to steel grey |
| Crystal habit | Nuggets, grains, or wires | Cubic or pyritohedral | Massive or tetrahedral | Tabular or prismatic |
| Mohs hardness | 2.5–3.0 | 6.0–6.5 | 3.5–4.0 | 5.5–6.0 |
| Streak color | Golden yellow | Greenish-black | Greenish-black | Grey-black |
| Malleability | Malleable; indents smoothly | Brittle; shatters / powders | Brittle; crumbles | Brittle; shatters |
| Magnetism | Non-magnetic | Usually non-magnetic | Weakly magnetic when heated | Non-magnetic |
| Specific gravity | 19.3 (extremely high) | 5.0 (moderate) | 4.2 (moderate) | 6.0 (moderate-high) |

## Field lapidary potential assessment

1. Micro-fractures: internal checks that may shatter during cutting.
2. Structural cohesion: crumbly or vuggy stone unless that texture is wanted.
3. Softness gradients: uneven polishing in multi-mineral stones.
4. Surface rind: how much weathered exterior must be removed to reach the heart.

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