Guides

Guides

Cited mineral notes. Habit and hardness before color. Varieties of quartz stay on the quartz species page.

• How to identify a mineral specimen

  Mohs checklist, quartz 7 vs fluorite 4, habit bins, why color is last, heated amethyst sold as citrine, and USGS glass for obsidian.

• ID kit vs display stand

  Loupe + Mohs at the table versus stand + specimen boxes on the shelf.

• Quartz varieties

  SiO₂ is the host. Amethyst, citrine, and rose quartz are varieties, not separate species.

• Crystal caverns

  Florida Caverns, Devil’s Millhopper, Carlsbad, Mammoth, Jewel Cave, Kartchner, Luray, park, USGS, and operator pages.

• Mohs workflow

  Streak, hardness, cleavage, habit.

• Lab-grown, heated, dyed, or natural

  Disclosure, not a secret.