1. Color: This is the most obvious characteristic, but it can be misleading as many minerals come in a variety of colors due to impurities.
2. Streak: The color of a mineral's powder when rubbed against a streak plate (unglazed porcelain). This is a more reliable identifier than color alone, as streak is less susceptible to variations.
3. Luster: How light reflects off the mineral's surface. Descriptions include metallic, glassy, pearly, waxy, and dull.
4. Hardness: A mineral's resistance to scratching. The Mohs Hardness Scale, from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond), is used to compare hardness.
5. Cleavage/Fracture: How a mineral breaks. Cleavage refers to breaking along flat, smooth planes, while fracture describes irregular or uneven breaks.
6. Specific Gravity: The ratio of a mineral's density to the density of water. This can be assessed by feeling the weight of the mineral.
7. Crystal Habit: The characteristic shape of a mineral crystal. This can be cubic, prismatic, platy, or irregular.
Important Note: It is important to remember that these characteristics often work in combination to identify a mineral. A single characteristic may not be enough to distinguish one mineral from another.
