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How to Identify Gems & Minerals

Gems and minerals have always been valued for their beauty. While some minerals are gems and some gems are minerals, not all minerals are gems nor are all gems minerals. Gems are valued for their rarity, intrinsic beauty -- color, sparkle, or other visual quality -- and their durability. Many gemstones are crystals. Precious gems such as diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire are minerals, too, because they are inorganic and naturally formed. Gems such as amber, pearl, and coral are not minerals due to their organic origin. You can use many resources available on the Internet to help you identify gems and minerals.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass
Tile

Instructions

- 1
  
  Examine the appearance.
  
  Examine the surface of your sample in the light using a magnifying glass. Determine whether it is metallic or nonmetallic. Check the transparency (the ability to transmit light). Some minerals can also transmit light. Certain rock minerals that are opaque in lump form are translucent when sliced thinly. Gemstones are often valued for their clarity, or transparency.
- 2
  
  Check the hardness.
  
  Test the hardness of your sample. Use the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness (see Resources) to come up with a measure of hardness. The scale determines the hardness of a material by verifying the hardest material it can scratch, or what is the softest material that can scratch it.
- 3
  
  Use color, streak and form
  
  Run your sample across a tile to verify the color streak it leaves. This measure is considered more reliable in identifying minerals than color, which will vary depending on different factors. Observe the form of your sample, whether it is a crystal, and the cleavage pattern when the mineral is broken.
- 4
  Compare all the information you have obtained on your sample with the attributes of other gems or minerals (see Resources) and you will be able to identify it.

Rocks & Minerals