Quick Mineral Identification

[@loststudent1]

I thought that your presentation was very helpful. I am an on-line college student in the Atlanta Georgia area who is preparing for my first GEOL mineral lab. I appreciate your video as it gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect when I walk into the room this week. Thank you.

[@deegraphics2]

This was very useful to show my son during our homeschool Geology lesson today. He's very interested in Geology and can't wait to have a nice collection like yours.Thank you for taking the time to make this video and for sharing it with us :)

[@farhatjaved3874]

Indeed you have done your job. You are one of the best instructors I have ever come across.

[@clairebeane3455]

Farhat Javed Agreed!! Thanks for the tutorial!!

[@michealwintz852]

Thank you for your video. I'm not a school room student but, I'm a prospecter of Hematite for jewelry. I'm suddenly acquiring many rocks that I can't identify including fossils. So these identification videos are great learning tools. Thank you again for a great informative video. 💗 Ms Michal

[@Gems-of-Hope-Rocks]

Your comment made me curious if you had any good rock hounding, lapidary or other useful videos in your playlists. So I clicked on your thumbnail and and looked for myself. I've created my own playlist of your public playlists, I'll remove the black/white movies later, lol, since that's not my cup of tea. So thanks for your variety of rock hounding, lapidary and OTHER videos for me to explore. Great taste!

[@eorm4776]

Excellent video for providing a brief overview of common minerals. It was a great aid for our kid's home school science lesson.

[@netyote]

Thank you for this video. It helped me review for my geology mineral identification test. I liked how you just did brief descriptions of some of the most easily identifiable characteristics of each.

[@valhu43]

I love the way you described the garnet as little footballs!

[@normaastx.9359]

Thank you, for sharing your knowledge with us. From Houston Texas.

[@Cenepk101]

Thank you for this video- I just ID ed the 2 stones I found in my yard. They are copper !!!! So pretty!!! I live about 10 miles as the crow flies from Stone Mountain Ga. Always finding beautiful stones. Lots of quartz

[@trevorzzealley2670]

Thankyou for making & sharing this video . I learned from it , please keep them coming .

[@SamirKhan-mz8ii]

The best ever video I had ever watched so clearly about minerals..... Thank u....🙏

[@williamwu1679]

hey guys,i'm gemstones seller,it's my pleasure to see you guys here.thanks for your posting.

[@stephenshaleigh6936]

Very nice guide, thanks!!! I have a collection arranged in Multi Collector that i am trying to identify now.

[@seditt5146]

God I need more videos EXACTLY like this one. Any recommendations ?

[@stinkycatz]

What a nice collection of minerals you have .

[@blunosr]

Hi, I travel across Canada a couple of times a year, and I like stopping at mine sites, and dimensional stone (tomb stones, counter tops) places. They usually let me look around their scrap piles. I also purchased some at science shops, rock shops, scientific supply places.

[@missanna208802]

You're so awesome for getting back to me. It's clear that you know waaaay more than I do about this kind of thing, and maybe it is ok to say that glass is quartz, but quartz is not glass (super simplified). I'm afraid you will have to dumb down your explanation to me because I am not well educated in this subject. Thanks for this video. I'm trying to decide whether I want to get into the rock side of jewelry. I've had some metals classes at univeristy, but I like rocks too.

[@crazysam871]

I really like your video. I've had a geology class last session(in Québec) and saw some mineral and I wanted to get a list of the most commons and their English names and you gave me a nice video perfect for what I was looking for! Ty

[@equanimity160395]

Very informative and helps me a lot. Thanks!!

[@blunosr]

Further processing is usually required to get metals out of their ore minerals. Commonly reduction reactions are used for that.

[@brento2890]

Califonia, USA. Your video has made it around the WORLD!

[@C4FishingTeam]

Finally a scientifically literate video!!!!! I was getting tired of those "secret energy" crystal videos from mount juju...

[@deaconsmom2000]

I would LOVE this class! Your teaching method is probably very effective; the associations, etc already took root in my mind after 8 minutes. Thanks :D

[@anthonydiaz9927]

I am new to all this, but have a growing interest in mineral identification and found your video very interesting. I live on a tropical island and would like to know what types of minerals can be found on tropical islands.

[@blunosr]

Hi, If you're on a coral atoll, there might be no minerals other than shells and coral. The rocks made entirely of shells are called coquina. Volcanic islands might have zeolites, which come in many varieties, and contain rare earth elements. Maybe olivine, which in large clear crystals is commonly known as peridote.

[@starinthesky1520]

Hi, I have a big piece let say of rock/glass, heavy, color green emerald like with one rough white side, not sharp at all, it has many uneven cuts. It look like Tzavorite Garnet or Emerald, I bought it from an estate auction as a gemstone with other stones and I really want to know what it is exactly. Thanks for your help

[@SoulDevoured]

Hi star, there are message boards and forums (I believe there is also a sub-forum on reddit) where you can share pictures and give exacting description to find the the most accurate identification. It is more difficult to identify when not in person but there is specific criteria for identification of any stone. Check out a gemstone or mineral forum and they can help guide you.

[@starinthesky1520]

Thanks SoulDevoured, I will try that

[@SoulDevoured]

Not a problem. The internet is a treasure trove of information but, just like when finding gemstones, it helps to know where to dig XD Let me know how it goes.

[@andrewcadigan1357]

Thanks for the video you have helped me identify some of the minerals I have found here in New Mexico by Socorro thanks so much!!

[@trevorgwelch7412]

These minerals are the reason why aliens visit our planet , to rob us of our minerals .

[@karenbradyptl]

Excellent most informative. Best on the net!

[@STONES624]

Fantastic these beautiful gems come to leave my LIKE

[@jameslum19981902]

Well , This video is awesome !! it is fast-going , doesnt bore someone to hell . but , just 2 things, , Cinnabar is mercury sulfide , and malachite is copper carbonate =D Anyways , great vid and keep up the good work !

[@matlynch83]

Glass is made from quartz grains (sand), heated until it melts and then cooled quickly. Because it is cooled quickly, it does not develop a fixed crystalline structure. However, quartz cools slowly to develop crystals that do have a crystalline structure. Natural concurrences are volcanic glass obsidian which is formed from felsic silica rich lava which cools quickly to form glass. If it cooled slower, it would form the mineral rhyolite.

[@finpainter1]

the copper samples were both from under ground mines or ore piles. not from a smelter. copper in upper peninsula of michigan is almost pure form.some pieces can go many tons.

[@pullingthestrings5233]

Yay I recognized most of them from my geology class. I also mentioned that k-feldspar looks like meat with the striations of potassium running thru it. Nice job.

[@Gems-of-Hope-Rocks]

Actually, he said k-spar looked like horse meat. I actually was taken aback by that because we do not eat horse meat in the United States. Is it/Was it common in Canada?

[@timbagzey1465]

thanks to this video i have just found out ive got asbestos in my rock collection , ive now put it in a airtight bag.

[@ClashGardener]

👏 You still around?

[@blunosr]

Hi, I think you mean "glass". Yes, it is largely made of quartz sand, although in many cases, other minerals, or elements are added to give glass different properties. For instance, boron is added to make glass heat resistant (Pyrex glass). KMnO4 (chameleon mineral) is added to make purple glass. Addition of gold III oxide, makes red glass.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

A few corrections: 1) Your apatite is actually grossular from Lake Jaco, Mexico. 2) Bauxite is a rock, not a mineral. 3) Cinnabar is mercury sulfide, not oxide. 4) The second copper is natural, not a smelter product, from Michigan. 5) Your hematite ring is most likely a manmade material. 6) Malachite is copper carbonate, not oxide. 7) Quartz is not glass. 8) Your smoky quartz crystal is an irradiated crystal of formerly colourless quartz, from Arkansas.

[@abcdude8784]

yep i agree ^^ nice one

[@chloehopewell1225]

Glass and quartz are both SiO2, but glass doesn’t form the same hexagonal crystal structure because it cools much faster. Glass typically has other things added to it (such as potassium) to lower its melting point. So in a sense, quartz is glass, because they have the same chemical makeup.

[@upendrablissfulkumar6465]

Vow

[@Gems-of-Hope-Rocks]

Incredible Presentation! Is this really HS Geology in British Columbia, Canada? WOW American schools are so far behind! Even if there are some inaccuracies, it's still better than most things I have seen online.

[@Gems-of-Hope-Rocks]

2:58 Cinnabar ... Mercury toxic? 4:02 Who looks at horse meat? 4:06 Fluorite and 5:34 Malachite, Formation shape are helpful here!

[@blunosr]

Asbestos is an alteration product (hydrothermal alteration) of olivine. It is related to talc, and amphibole. It is quite common. Caused by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks, which cover most of the Earth's surface (oceanic crust is made of mafic igneous rocks).

[@trippingonrocks1165]

I'll be watching this a few times, thank you for explaining these so clearly.

[@trippingonrocks1165]

@@op5814 bro you have no idea what I did or didn't learn from this video. I leave a positive comment and you want to trash it for no apparent reason says alot about you though...

[@Kriswixx]

Thank you so much! I got a storage unit with many of these, some polished rocks, jewelry making. I want to ebay them but don't know the names of all of them.. This is helping out!! wish you could look at my photos and tell me :)

[@frankreiserm.s.8039]

The basic building-block molecule of quartz is silicon dioxide, SiO2. However, when the SiO2 molecules are attached together to form the quartz mineral, it is in the form of SiO4.

[@blunosr]

Yes, this is just out for this video. It is kept in a sealed container normally. When not abraided or played with, the fibres usually remain intact and don't enter the air.

[@blunosr]

Well, there's only so much you can say in an 8 minute video. Maybe one day I'll do a separate video for each mineral. There's a lot to know about each mineral. Someone else asked about uses of each mineral, and yes, most of these do have uses in industry, but again that would be a very long video.

[@troypellerin9070]

Can i email you pic to help me identify

[@kristinroney7591]

Please do more videos. On the minerals. I want to study minerals and rocks and prospect for gold on my free time . Its intruiging. I love it. Please ....make more

[@blunosr]

Hi, individual minerals are pure chemical compounds. So in that respect, yes they all have commercial value. If you can mine the rock/ore and isolate the individual minerals, you would have pure chemical compounds for use in many industrial applications. That's how we get many of the chemicals that you might see in a lab, or pharmacy.

[@shunriely2922]

Was listen ,,but did see no meteorite ,do you have any ,if so please video it ,,,I love the way you teach a person is sure to learn,,,good job thanks for sharin ,,,

[@tinker6670]

Just a suggestion.. on basic identification you should begin with a hardness test. This basic test will rule out what the material won't be and put it in a category more close to what it really is.

[@maheraljannan1676]

Galena is interesting. I have seen it in many places like Saudi Arabia and in Yenem! I wonder where is it extracted from and what are its uses?!

[@TreeLynnT]

Very helpful! I now know I found some pretty awesome stuff.

[@Ryuuken24]

I've only found 3 of these minerals out in the wild. Identifying them is awesome, but knowing how to find them, instead of cheating in your way into places selling them!

[@blunosr]

Hi, I would guess that it is an igneous rock type called Gabbro. The black residue would just be the oxidation product from weathering. New York is in the Appalachian or Laurentian mountain chains and there are many mafic igneous rocks. Gabbro is kinda like granite, except black.

[@Caver461]

Native copper - reminds me of the natural silver wire found in Cobalt

[@nickibulicek2998]

That’s one of my favorite rocks I love gemstone

[@theloserron]

thank you for the educational video , it gave me the confirmation i was looking for

[@Melthornal]

Walking through the woods (in New York), I came across a large amount of very, very shiny, glasslike rocks. I picked one up, and hit it with another rock and it fractured very easily into a little shard. They are all deep black, and working with them leaves a black residue. I took some of it home with me. Any idea what it could be?

[@frankreiserm.s.8039]

muscovite mica is usually clear, not just brown. It used to be used for house windows in past times.

[@bouzadachannel5320]

Nice collection !

[@AdrianoPedrasPreciosas]

Mais um inscrito meu like 💎🖒🖒🖒🖒🖒🖒🍀🍀😁

[@shunriely2922]

Also beautiful collection,,,

[@blunosr]

Underground exploration is a huge industry. Yes there are many ways to locate and identify underground minerals. You could do an entire degree in that at University.

[@lunageologist]

Not to argue too fine a point, but Cinnabar is HgS, not HgO. Nice collection, as a geologist myself, I love my mineral collection and wish I had some cabinet samples as large as yours although with all the rocks and minerals I do have, I think I would have no place to sit. Cheers.

[@TreeLynnT]

Wow. I have a lot of these from Lake Michigan area ❤

[@roughdiamond4537]

We sell Rough Diamond USD 400 per carat VVS D-color, we are currently in Namibia, southern Africa. Do you perhaps have a network of potential buyers you can refer us too. [e-mail]

[@DrawingTechnical]

Very cool. I really like the green and blue coloured rocks, imagine building a house with them! I wish the camera focused a bit better though, it did the video injustice.

[@AnxiousKoala]

I would take this class for fun! Thanks for the video and wish I could take the class. :)

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

I hope to find some of those minerals on my land, especially galena and sphalerite! Possibly some malachite and a few minerals you did not list.

[@TheRevelegendEMG]

Oh right, thank's for the reply. How common is it in the environment? Hows does it form? Seems like quite an unusual mineral given it's fibrous composition.

[@coherantbliss3483]

Thanks for your vid. I have a question and don't know if you can answer it. Of which mineral/stone family gives off the most spark/energy when striking each other? And which one mostly absorbs energy? If you don't know what would be your guess? I have seen a video that if a certain stone is used with copper it can create energy.

[@SoulDevoured]

I'm not entirely sure I understand all your questions but I do know that flint stone and steel (or any iron based metal/mineral) is what is used to make sparks and ignite fire. As far as stones that absorb energy, nonmetallic ceramic like stones, like talc in this video, are probably the best bet there. I believe asbestos is also very insulating but I wouldn't recommend it for any science experiment you're gonna try at home. Or if you mean absorb energy as in carry/conduct it, any common metal mineral will work. With zinc, gold, and copper being among the top. Sorry I can't help much more. I suggest searching google for "the least conductive minerals" or "conductive properties of common minerals" for a better shot at finding the MOST conductive and insulating minerals.

[@coherantbliss3483]

Thank you very much for your answers. I did mean carry/hold energy but of course with the appropriate one-way shielding

[@jimjaeger8968]

Very informative. I found myself wishing the words were there too so I could see the spelling and hear the pronounciation.

[@freddymello3227]

How do I identify a rough diamond from other types of quarts crystals?

[@trippingonrocks1165]

I know what horse. Meat. Looks like now haha.. Interesting display and discriptions of each. Nice video, thank you

[@BacGold]

Gostei muito dó seu canal é sou garimpeiro 🙏

[@blunosr]

Hard to say without seeing them, but small smokey quartz would appear to be transparent. The larger they are, the darker grey or black they would appear.

[@shwnshts9469]

"It looks like horse meat"!? Dang, we really gotta start paying these teachers more...

[@blunosr]

Hi, if what you mean by "points" is arrow heads, they were made of many things, most of which were bone, or rocks, not minerals. I suppose you could use quartz though. Good arrow heads can be made from obsidian, or chalcedony (chert/jasper). In fact obsidian is still used today for some scalpels in very fine surgery, like brain surgery. At least, that's what I'm told... Obsidian can be made sharper than steel.

[@BoxKingKevin]

You're my new favourite teacher lol

[@blunosr]

Conglomerate is a rock type, usually composed of many types of previously existing rocks and minerals. So, yes it does fracture in an irregular pattern, but that is not the context used here to describe mineral properties.

[@Omkara.404]

Good collection sir.

[@rezajavid1680]

thanks can you do it again with better quality please?

[@blunosr]

Oh yeah, thanks! I didn't realize I had said it was an oxide.

[@SaModa-ru6wx]

Hi, any Idea how expensive is a chlorite stone?

[@kemosabe133]

Hey I have a white stone but I don't know what it is can you please help me in identifying the stone. I will send you it's pictures and videos

[@mremberton7919]

Amp up its like a teacher style thank you for your knowledge

[@blunosr]

Most are just good examples of minerals, not gemstones. Many I picked up as I used to work as a mining Geologist, now I teach Geology. Some I bought at rock shops, and a few are from educational supply houses. I also like to visit mines, and always ask for a sample or two.

[@Melthornal]

Well, thank you for the help. They are neat little rocks.

[@davidolaniran4275]

I enjoy watching it.

[@davidkovach5866]

nice video,glad to see someone doing some explaining

[@abhiramdas8910]

it will be helpful if you can also explain the application of these minerals

[@vetej316]

cool looking rocks, but wich one can u make points from

[@blunosr]

@KurtCaro13 Hi, I do have a video about easily confused minerals. I think that's what I called it too, "Easily Confused Minerals".

[@mjkatz0129]

Of the Felspar you showed, it looked like Marble. So, when out in a field, how would one differentiate between the two?

[@troyboyd3100]

Marble is much softer than feldspar, and if you have a bit of dilute HCl (hydrochloric acid), it will fizz with marble. Marble is a metamorphic rock made of the mineral calcite.

[@mjkatz0129]

Thank you for this info. Good to know! :)

[@blunosr]

I do, but I've never made a video of them. Conglomerate is just a type of clastic sedimentary rock, like sandstone, but bigger bits (clasts).

[@ChukaCustoms]

Thank you for the video but I ask for people who find it in the future, please add captions with the names because as you know they can be overwhelming.

[@blunosr]

Well, I've never looked at commercial glass under a microscope so I not sure what it's structure is. I've seen glass made, using quartz sand. And I have looked at volcanic glass (obsidian) and hydrothermal chalcedony under petrographic microscopes, and they are microcrystalline. Their crystals are so small, they are hard to see even under high power, and you have to use cross polarization. I'll have to look into that...

[@goldcambodia]

Great admin!

[@grapeagatestone6854]

Wow....amazing

[@12oc6h]

thank you so much,this is what was looking for.

[@NickSapphire3045]

theese rocks and stuff are really cool i like to look at em

[@napolio_]

Jesus Manny there Minerals! Not rocks

[@christianruiz8670]

nathaniel Adams They're*

[@Proctor1986]

nathaniel Adams well actually there were rocks up there. but yeah this is a mineral ID vid lol

[@dukedixon3192]

So garnet (own several) looks like little footballs, and I identify asbestos that looks like a boulder because it looks like cloth? This is closer to mineral confusion than identification, while making my new crystal interest completely, well, uninteresting.

[@blunosr]

Really? Are you talking about the sand used in casting metal? That's very interesting! Thanks,

[@Melthornal]

Can Gabbro be really glossy? I just took out a chunk of these rocks and cleaned it with water and an old tooth brush. In the process, I noticed that not all of the rocks have a black residue, and the ones that do have a very small, but visible grain. So do you think those would be gabbro? There are a few that have no grain to the naked eye, and they are really shiny and glossy. I'm thinking about trying to grind it into a marble or something, they look awesome.

[@WaterntheDesert]

That was a very good lesson , thank you

[@StevenSchoolAlchemy]

I like those minerals! sharing video to basic crystal growing on facebook.

[@ann48luv79]

I'm so into rocks & minerals♥️🌹♥️🌹♥️🌹🌼🌈🌼🌈🌼

[@Aleksandra-lf8ky]

super kolekcja co prawda chaotycznie poukładana

[@My-Say]

I have a collection of strange rocks and some of them don't look like any of these.

[@jaswantdhayal5482]

Stephen Wolfe we have also

[@wickdeed7434]

Stephen Wolfe these aren't all the gems and rocks

[@abdessamadettalii7307]

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