Minerals

1. Minerals Kheu Bloom

2. Talc • Talc has the hardness scale of one and is the softest mineral. • Uses Talc uses include: paint, ceramics, rubber, roofing, paper. • Color sea green, white, gray • Streakwhite to very pale green • Lusterpearly • Cleavage perfect

3. Gypsum • Gypsum uses include: manufacture of wallboard, cement, plaster of Paris, soil conditioning, a hardening retarder in Portland cement. Varieties of gypsum known as "satin spar" and "alabaster" are used for a variety of ornamental purposes, however their low hardness limits their durability. • Colorclear, colorless, white, gray, yellow, red, brown • Streakwhite • Lustervitreous • Cleavageperfect • Hardness 2

4. Calcite • Calcite has more uses than almost any other mineral. Most is used as a construction material in the form of cement, concrete, dimension stone or aggregate. In agriculture it is used as a soil treatment to neutralize acids and as a filler or dietary supplement in livestock feeds. It is used in many medications, particularly those that treat excess stomach acids. Several other uses are described in the article at the top of this page. • Colorusually white but also colorless, gray, red, green, blue, yellow, brown, orange • Streakwhite • Lustervitreous • Cleavageperfect, rhombus shaped • Hardness3

5. Fluorite • Fluorite uses include: flux, drinking water, ornamental stone. • Colorcolorless, green, blue, purple, yellow, red, black • Streakwhite • Lustervitreous • Cleavageperfect, octahedral • Hardness4

6. Apatite • Uses The primary use of apatite is in the manufacture of fertilizer - it is a source of phosphorus. It is occasionally used as a gemstone. Apatite also serves as an index mineral of Mohs hardness scale with a hardness of five. • Colorgreen, brown, blue, yellow, violet, colorless • Streakwhite • Lustervitreous to subresinous • Cleavagepoor • Hardness5

7. Orthoclase • Orthoclase uses include: gemstones . • Colorwhite, gray, flesh pink, reddish, yellow, green • Streak white • Lustervitreous • Diaphaneitytranslucent to sub translucent Cleavage perfect • Hardness6 - 6.5

8. Quartz • Quartz uses: glass making, foundry sand, hydrofrac sand, optical materials, components in electronic products, traction sands, sharpening media, polishing compounds, grinding compounds, fillers and extenders. • ColorQuartz occurs in virtually every color. Common colors are clear, white, gray, purple, yellow, brown, black, pink, green, red. • Streakcolorless (harder than the streak plate) • Lustervitreous • Cleavagenone - typically breaks with a break fracture. • Hardness 7

9. Topaz • Uses The only significant commercial use of topaz is as a gemstone. It also serves as the Mohs Hardness Scale standard for a hardness of eight. • ColorColorless, white, yellow, amber, pink, blue, green, gray • StreakColorless - harder than the streak plate • LusterNormally vitreous • CleavagePerfect basal cleavage • Hardness8

10. Corundum • Uses Corundum is very hard and is used as an abrasive in the manufacture of sandpaper, polishing compounds and cutting tools. When it occurs as a colorful and clear stone it is used as gem. Rubies are red corundums and corundums of any other color are known as sapphires. • ColorMost often gray, but also white, brown, red, blue, yellow, green. • StreakCorundum is harder than the streak plate. It does not leave a streak. • LusterAdamantine to vitreous. • CleavageNone. However, corundum does display parting perpendicular to the long axis of its hexagonal crystals (see photo below). • Hardness9

11. Diamonds • Uses of Diamond • Most of the world's diamond production is consumed by industry for use as an abrasive in cutting, grinding, drilling and polishing procedures. The second category of diamond use is as a gemstone. More money is spent on diamonds than all other types of gemstones combined. A small amount of diamond goes to other use. These include: heat sinks, specialty windows and bearings. • ColorMost industrial grade diamond is black in color, often due to impurities. Gem quality diamonds occur in a range of colors. These include: colorless, yellow, red, orange, green, blue, and brown. • Streakcolorless - diamond is much harder than the streak plate • Lusteradamantine - the highest luster for a nonmetallic mineral Cleavageperfect, octahedral • Hardness10