Classification of minerals based on various physical properties.

Minerals can be identified by the physical or chemical properties that they exhibit. Classifying minerals can be hard nut to crack as these can range from simple structures to some complex compositions. Classifying minerals is a very time consuming and costly process that involves even the risk of damaging the test sample. The methods used in classifying the properties of a mineral involve chemical and X-Ray diffraction analysis which can be costly. Physical properties that commonly classify any mineral are:

1. Crystalline structure and habit: A mineral may show good uniform crystal form, or it may be massive, granular or compact with only microscopically visible crystals.

2. Color and Luster: The appearance of a mineral as reflected in light seen by the naked eye indicates the color of a mineral. Luster indicates the way a mineral's surface interacts with light and can range from dull to glassy.

3. Hardness: The physical hardness of any mineral is measured in terms of Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

4. Streak: This property refers to the color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed against an unglazed porcelain streak plate.

5. Specific gravity: The mass of the mineral relative to the mass of an equal volume of water, termed as the density of the material is known as specific gravity.

6. Cleavage: This property describes the way any mineral may cleave or come apart in different ways.

7. Fracture: The way a mineral break contrary to its natural cleavage planes is described as the fracture.

8. Some more properties: These include magnetism, reactivity to acids, fluorescence radioactivity, tenacity (response to mechanical induced changes of shape or form) etc.