by Gelogia Team | Jun 2, 2026 | Mineralogy
Every mineral crystal grows according to a specific geometric pattern. These patterns are grouped into seven crystal systems, which form the foundation of crystallography and mineral classification. Crystal systems describe: crystal symmetry axis lengths crystal...
by Gelogia Team | Jun 2, 2026 | Mineralogy
The Mohs Hardness Scale is one of the most widely used systems for identifying minerals. Developed by German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in 1812, the scale measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching. Instead of using complicated laboratory equipment,...
by Gelogia Team | Jun 2, 2026 | Mineralogy
Hardness is one of the most important physical properties used in mineral identification. It measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching and helps geologists distinguish between minerals that may otherwise look similar. The most widely used system for...
by Gelogia Team | Jun 2, 2026 | Mineralogy
Transparency is an important optical property used in mineral identification. It describes how much light can pass through a mineral specimen. Some minerals allow light to pass through completely, while others block light entirely. By observing transparency,...
by Gelogia Team | Jun 1, 2026 | Mineralogy
Some minerals feel surprisingly heavy, while others seem unusually light for their size. This difference is related to a property called specific gravity. Specific gravity measures how dense a mineral is compared to water. It helps geologists identify minerals,...
