What we have learnt

Ernest the mineral detective Now that you know more about minerals and their properties, you can get started trying to identify them yourself.

One thing to remember though. To get an accurate identification of a mineral you must look at as many properties as you can.

In combination, colour, lustre, streak, hardness and crystal shape will give you a fair idea of what mineral you are looking at. Never rely on one property alone - try as many tests as you need to be sure of your identification.

Gook luck, and if you want to test your knowledge even more, try playing our game - Mineral mastermind!

Ernest the mineral detective To find out about minerals you should Take a closer look, and then find out about some of their properties...

Colour Light
Lustre Streak
Crystal shape Hardness
Cleavage and fracture Heaviness
Other tests What we have learnt

Return to the Detectives homepage, or finish by playing Mineral mastermind!