How to Identify Rocks & Minerals
Step-by-step identification guides for 305 rocks, minerals, crystals and gemstones. Each guide lists the color, luster, hardness and streak to check, the home tests that confirm it, and the look-alikes most often confused with it.
All identification guides A–Z
- How to identify Actinolite
- How to identify Aegirine
- How to identify Agate
- How to identify Alabaster
- How to identify Albite
- How to identify Alexandrite
- How to identify Almandine
- How to identify Aluminum
- How to identify Amazonite
- How to identify Amber
- How to identify Amethyst
- How to identify Ametrine
- How to identify Ammolite
- How to identify Amphibolite
- How to identify Analcime
- How to identify Andalusite
- How to identify Andesite
- How to identify Andradite
- How to identify Anhydrite
- How to identify Anorthosite
- How to identify Anthracite
- How to identify Apatite
- How to identify Aplite
- How to identify Apophyllite
- How to identify Aquamarine
- How to identify Aragonite
- How to identify Arkose
- How to identify Arsenopyrite
- How to identify Astrophyllite
- How to identify Atacamite
- How to identify Augite
- How to identify Aura Quartz
- How to identify Aurichalcite
- How to identify Aventurine
- How to identify Axinite
- How to identify Azurite
- How to identify Banded Iron Formation
- How to identify Baryte
- How to identify Basalt
- How to identify Basaltic Andesite
- How to identify Bauxite
- How to identify Benitoite
- How to identify Beryl
- How to identify Biotite
- How to identify Bismuth
- How to identify Bloodstone
- How to identify Blue Goldstone
- How to identify Blue Lace Agate
- How to identify Blueschist
- How to identify Borax
- How to identify Bornite
- How to identify Brass
- How to identify Breccia
- How to identify Bronze
- How to identify Brucite
- How to identify Calcite
- How to identify Caliche
- How to identify Carnelian
- How to identify Cassiterite
- How to identify Cavansite
- How to identify Celestine
- How to identify Cerussite
- How to identify Chabazite
- How to identify Chalcedony
- How to identify Chalcocite
- How to identify Chalcopyrite
- How to identify Chalk
- How to identify Charoite
- How to identify Cherry Quartz
- How to identify Chert
- How to identify Chiastolite
- How to identify Chlorite
- How to identify Chrome
- How to identify Chromite
- How to identify Chrysoberyl
- How to identify Chrysocolla
- How to identify Chrysoprase
- How to identify Cinnabar
- How to identify Citrine
- How to identify Claystone
- How to identify Clear Quartz
- How to identify Coal
- How to identify Cobaltite
- How to identify Colemanite
- How to identify Conglomerate
- How to identify Copper
- How to identify Coquina
- How to identify Cordierite
- How to identify Corundum
- How to identify Covellite
- How to identify Crocoite
- How to identify Cryolite
- How to identify Cuprite
- How to identify Dacite
- How to identify Dalmatian Jasper
- How to identify Danburite
- How to identify Datolite
- How to identify Dendritic Agate
- How to identify Desert Rose
- How to identify Diabase
- How to identify Diamond
- How to identify Diaspore
- How to identify Diatomite
- How to identify Diopside
- How to identify Dioptase
- How to identify Diorite
- How to identify Dolomite
- How to identify Dolostone
- How to identify Dumortierite
- How to identify Dunite
- How to identify Eclogite
- How to identify Elbaite
- How to identify Emerald
- How to identify Epidote
- How to identify Erythrite
- How to identify Eudialyte
- How to identify Evaporite
- How to identify Feldspar
- How to identify Fire Agate
- How to identify Flint
- How to identify Fluorite
- How to identify Forsterite
- How to identify Franklinite
- How to identify Gabbro
- How to identify Galena
- How to identify Garnet
- How to identify Gibbsite
- How to identify Glass
- How to identify Glauconite
- How to identify Gneiss
- How to identify Goethite
- How to identify Gold
- How to identify Goldstone
- How to identify Goshenite
- How to identify Granite
- How to identify Granodiorite
- How to identify Graphite
- How to identify Graywacke
- How to identify Greenschist
- How to identify Grossular
- How to identify Gypsum
- How to identify Halite
- How to identify Hauyne
- How to identify Heliodor
- How to identify Hematite
- How to identify Hemimorphite
- How to identify Hessonite
- How to identify Heulandite
- How to identify Hornblende
- How to identify Hornfels
- How to identify Howlite
- How to identify Ignimbrite
- How to identify Ilmenite
- How to identify Iolite
- How to identify Iron
- How to identify Ironstone
- How to identify Jade
- How to identify Jadeite
- How to identify Jasper
- How to identify Jet
- How to identify Kaolinite
- How to identify Kimberlite
- How to identify Kunzite
- How to identify Kyanite
- How to identify Labradorite
- How to identify Lapis Lazuli
- How to identify Larvikite
- How to identify Laterite
- How to identify Lazulite
- How to identify Lazurite
- How to identify Lead
- How to identify Lepidolite
- How to identify Leucite
- How to identify Limestone
- How to identify Limonite
- How to identify Magnesite
- How to identify Magnetite
- How to identify Malachite
- How to identify Marble
- How to identify Marcasite
- How to identify Marl
- How to identify Metaconglomerate
- How to identify Microcline
- How to identify Migmatite
- How to identify Milky Quartz
- How to identify Mimetite
- How to identify Moldavite
- How to identify Molybdenite
- How to identify Monzonite
- How to identify Mookaite
- How to identify Moonstone
- How to identify Morganite
- How to identify Moss Agate
- How to identify Mudstone
- How to identify Muscovite
- How to identify Mylonite
- How to identify Natrolite
- How to identify Nepheline
- How to identify Nickel
- How to identify Norite
- How to identify Obsidian
- How to identify Olivine
- How to identify Onyx
- How to identify Oolite
- How to identify Opal
- How to identify Opalite
- How to identify Orpiment
- How to identify Orthoclase
- How to identify Pearl
- How to identify Pegmatite
- How to identify Peridot
- How to identify Peridotite
- How to identify Pewter
- How to identify Phlogopite
- How to identify Phonolite
- How to identify Phyllite
- How to identify Platinum
- How to identify Porphyry
- How to identify Prasiolite
- How to identify Prehnite
- How to identify Pumice
- How to identify Pyrite
- How to identify Pyrolusite
- How to identify Pyromorphite
- How to identify Pyrope
- How to identify Pyrophyllite
- How to identify Quartz
- How to identify Quartzite
- How to identify Rainbow Obsidian
- How to identify Realgar
- How to identify Red Coral
- How to identify Rhodochrosite
- How to identify Rhodonite
- How to identify Rhyolite
- How to identify Rock Salt
- How to identify Rose Gold
- How to identify Rose Quartz
- How to identify Ruby
- How to identify Rutile
- How to identify Sandstone
- How to identify Sapphire
- How to identify Satin Spar
- How to identify Scapolite
- How to identify Schist
- How to identify Schorl
- How to identify Scoria
- How to identify Selenite
- How to identify Serpentine
- How to identify Serpentinite
- How to identify Shale
- How to identify Shungite
- How to identify Siderite
- How to identify Sillimanite
- How to identify Siltstone
- How to identify Silver
- How to identify Skarn
- How to identify Slag Glass
- How to identify Slate
- How to identify Smithsonite
- How to identify Smoky Quartz
- How to identify Snowflake Obsidian
- How to identify Soapstone
- How to identify Sodalite
- How to identify Spessartine
- How to identify Sphalerite
- How to identify Spinel
- How to identify Spodumene
- How to identify Stainless Steel
- How to identify Staurolite
- How to identify Sterling Silver
- How to identify Stibnite
- How to identify Stilbite
- How to identify Sugilite
- How to identify Sulfur
- How to identify Sunstone
- How to identify Syenite
- How to identify Sylvite
- How to identify Talc
- How to identify Tanzanite
- How to identify Tephrite
- How to identify Tiger's Eye
- How to identify Tin
- How to identify Titanite
- How to identify Titanium
- How to identify Tonalite
- How to identify Topaz
- How to identify Tourmaline
- How to identify Trachyte
- How to identify Travertine
- How to identify Tremolite
- How to identify Tuff
- How to identify Tungsten
- How to identify Turquoise
- How to identify Ulexite
- How to identify Unakite
- How to identify Vanadinite
- How to identify Variscite
- How to identify Vesuvianite
- How to identify Vivianite
- How to identify Wavellite
- How to identify White Gold
- How to identify Wulfenite
- How to identify Zinc
- How to identify Zircon
- How to identify Zoisite
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