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Metals & Alloys: Identification Guide

Native metals and common alloys turn up in the field, in scrap piles and in jewelry boxes, and they are surprisingly easy to confuse. This guide covers the metals in the StoneSnap database with color, tarnish, heft, magnetism and hardness so you can tell gold from brass or silver from stainless steel.

Density is the most reliable home test: weigh the piece and measure its water displacement, then compare with the specific gravity listed on each page.

Mohs hardness in this group runs from 1.5 to 8.5.

Also browse:Types of Igneous RocksTypes of Sedimentary RocksTypes of Metamorphic RocksMinerals A to ZGemstones

All metals (16)

Aluminum specimen: silver and light gray metalAluminumMohs 2.75 · Silvery gray streakBrass specimen: yellow gold and brass yellow metalBrassMohs 3.5 · Yellow-gold to brass streakBronze specimen: brown and bronze metalBronzeMohs 3 · Brownish gold to coppery streakChrome specimen: mirror silver and blue-gray metalChromeMohs 8.5 · Silver-gray streakIron specimen: silver-gray and dark gray metalIronMohs 4 · Gray to dark gray streakLead specimen: bluish gray and dark gray metalLeadMohs 1.5 · Lead gray streakNickel specimen: silver and gray metalNickelMohs 4 · Gray streakPewter specimen: dull silver and gray metalPewterMohs 2.5 · Gray streakRose Gold specimen: rose gold and pink gold metalRose GoldMohs 3 · Rose-gold metallic streakStainless Steel specimen: silver and gray metalStainless SteelMohs 5.5 · Gray to silver-gray streakSterling Silver specimen: silver and white silver metalSterling SilverMohs 2.7 · Silver-white streakTin specimen: silver and gray metalTinMohs 1.5 · Silver-gray streakTitanium specimen: silver and gray metalTitaniumMohs 6 · Silver-gray streakTungsten specimen: dark gray and steel gray metalTungstenMohs 7.5 · Gray streakWhite Gold specimen: white silver and pale gold metalWhite GoldMohs 3 · White metallic streakZinc specimen: bluish silver and gray metalZincMohs 2.5 · Gray streak

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common metals?

The most searched metals in the StoneSnap database are Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Chrome, and Iron.

How do you identify metals?

Start with luster and color, then bracket the Mohs hardness with a scratch test and check the streak on unglazed porcelain. Mohs hardness in this group runs from 1.5 to 8.5. Each entry below lists the diagnostic properties and its common look-alikes.

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