How to Identify Minerals: 10 Steps to Mineral Identification

Now you are ready for mineral identification. Once you have observed and noted these mineral properties, you can take your information to a book or to an online resource. Start with my table of the rock-forming minerals, because these are the most common and the ones you should learn first. Each mineral's name is linked to a good photograph and notes to help you confirm the identification. If your mineral has metallic luster, go to my Minerals with Metallic Luster gallery to see the most likely minerals in this group. If your mineral is not one of these, try the sources in the Mineral Identification Guides category.

If you find yourself getting more interested in this subject, you'll benefit from a good book on rocks and minerals. An old one is as good as a new one in many respects, and having two or three books is better than having just one. Two of the books shown in the photo are ones I bought used, and I have several more besides these.