Turquoise, the best mineral around!
Cynthia Gallegos
SUPER VALUABLE!
Turquoise is possibly the most valuable mineral in the jewelry trade. It's been around since 6000 BC. The finest Turquoise is found in Iran but can be found in Virginia and elsewhere.
Kinds of Turquoise
About Turquoise
- Formula: CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8*5(H2O)
- Color is of course, turquoise, but this color actually varies from greenish blue to sky blue shades.
- Luster is dull to waxy, vitreous in macro-crystals.
- Transparency specimens are opaque.
- Cleavage is perfect in two direction, but is not often seen.
- Fracture is conchoidal and smooth.
- Hardness is 5 - 6
- Streak is white with a greenish tint.
More Minerals
Gold
- Formula: Au
- Color is golden "butter" yellow.
- Luster is metallic.
- Transparency is opaque.
- Cleavage is absent.
- Fracture is jagged.
- Streak is golden yellow.
- Hardness is 2.5 - 3
Titanium
- Formula: Ti
- Color is silver-gray often with a multi-colored iridescent tarnish.
- Luster is metallic.
- Transparency: Crystals are opaque.
- Cleavage is absent.
- Hardness is 4
- Streak is black
Benitoite
- Formula: K (Fe, Mg)3 AlSi3 O10 (F, OH)2
- Color is black to brown and yellow with weathering.
- Luster is vitreous to pearly.
- Transparency is transparent to translucent.
- Cleavage is perfect in one direction producing thin sheets or flakes.
- Fracture is not readily observed due to cleavage but is uneven.
- Hardness is 2.5.
- Streak is white.
Diamond
- Formula: C
- Color is pale yellows, browns, grays, and also white, blue, black, reddish, greenish and colorless.
- Luster is adamantine to waxy.
- Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent in rough crystals.
- Hardness is 10
- Cleavage is perfect in 4 directions forming octahedrons.
- Fracture is conchoidal.
- Streak is white.