PHYSICAL

During fieldwork, you will find this tool to be the most useful of the '5 properties' due to its ability to  match minerals based on their visible qualities or measurements (which you can quickly deduce using basic field equipment). The tool is a property search/comparison engine that focuses on the physical aspects of minerals. These properties are: color, streak, luster, diaphaneity, fractures, tenacity, cleavage, parting, density, specific gravity and hardness (both Mohs and Vickers hardness scales are supported).

If you know at least one property, it should be enough to perform a mineralogical comparison based on the available data. Tapping the always persistent floating button on the lower right will immediately start a database search based on your checked options. For example; suppose you found an unknown mineral which is dark gray in color, produces a brown streak, has a shiny metallic luster and can be scratched by a quart stone. Inputting those characteristics into the physical tool should lead you to all minerals matching those properties.

Color

Color is the first thing you can describe when observing a mineral. To add any color for searching… 

• Tap the 'Color' checkbox which activates a color chooser on its right.

• Tap the color chooser which pops up a grid of colors to choose from. 

• The colors are arranged on a grid of 4x5 circles (5x4 for tablets) with 20 selectable colors. 

• Tap the color of your choice to confirm your color selection.

To simplify the large varieties of established mineral colors, this app has adopted a standard aimed at simplifying the color selection process. That is, each selectable color will not only represent its visible color but All colors that belong to that group. See the following chart for reference when picking a color.

Streak

Streak is the color mark a mineral leave behind when scratched on white unglazed porcelain (streak plate). To add a streak color for comparison, similarly do…  

• Tap the 'Streak' checkbox which activates a color chooser on its right.

• Tap the color chooser which pops up a grid of colors to choose from, but unlike the chooser from 'Color' above, this one has 12 options.

• Tap the color of your choice to confirm your streak color selection. 

The difference between the 'streak' and 'color' grids is the integration of several color groups into one bigger group. Tapping that color will select that whole group of colors as described in the chart below.

Luster

Luster is the amount and quality of light that can be reflected from a mineral. Several degrees of luster can be opted ranging from waxy all the way to adamantine. To add luster comparison, do… 

• Tap the 'Luster' checkbox which activates the 'Select luster' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the dropdown menu to get options on the various degree of luster that matches your mineral.

• Select your desired option to confirm your selection.

Diaphaneity

Diaphaneity is the amount and quality of light that can pass through a mineral. This properties is limited to three options (or its variations) which are transparency, translucency and opacity. To choose diaphaneity, do…

• Tap the 'Diaphaneity' checkbox which activates the 'Choose opacity' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the dropdown menu to choose the diaphanous level of your mineral.

• Select your desired option to confirm your selection.

Should you choose the Always Transparent, Translucent or Opaque options, the search engine will match minerals that only match your desired opacity. Example; if you choose Always Transparent, then your results will be minerals that only have Transparent as their diaphaneity.

But if you choose the Mostly Transparent, Translucent or Opaque options, then your results will include minerals with at least one occurrence of your opacity.

The last three options will match all opacities that appear on your selection. Example; if you choose 'Translucent to Opaque', then your results must include minerals that have both translucent and opaque on their diaphaneity.

Fracture

Fracture is 'how a mineral tends to break' as long as it does not conform to the rules of cleaving. To choose a fracture type…

• Tap the 'Fracture' checkbox which activates the 'Fracture type' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the dropdown menu to see available Fracture types.

• Select your desired choice to confirm your selection.

Tenacity

Tenacity is 'the mineral’s affinity to resist damage'. To choose tenacity, do…

• Tap the 'Tenacity' checkbox which activates the 'Tenacity type' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the dropdown menu to see available Tenacity types.

• Select your desired choice to confirm your selection.

Cleavage

Cleavage is 'the splitting of minerals along natural planes of weaknesses determined by their internal crystal lattice'. This is of interest since we can observe the extent of the cleavage and their direction with the naked eye (or microscope for tiny minerals). This tool will allow you to search for cleavage based on the number of cleavage directions, their quality and/or direction.

The first checkbox is 'No. of Cleavages'. This represents the number of unique crystal faces that have cleavages. For example, if several cleavages seem to be parallel to face (001), that is only one cleavage. If one more is parallel to face (100) that is another cleavage for a total of two cleavages. To set your cleavage number, do…

• Tap the 'No. of Cleavages' checkbox which activates the 'Cleavage No.' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the dropdown menu to see available numbers of cleavages.

• Select your desired number to confirm your selection.

• Choosing the 'None' option will deactivate the cleavage type and direction option for the obvious reason of absent cleavages.

The second checkbox is 'Cleavage Quality'. This represents the quality of the cleavage observed ranging from indistinct all the way to perfect. If available, you can set the quality by…

• Tapping the 'Cleavage Quality' checkbox which activates the 'Choose quality' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the dropdown menu to see available cleavage qualities.

• Select your desired choice to confirm your selection.

The last checkbox is 'Cleavage Direction'. The direction is given as a {xxx} notation with xxx representing the Miller-index direction the cleavage was observed. To match cleavage directions, do…

• Tap the 'Cleavage Direction' checkbox which activates a text input area on its right.

• Type your cleavage direction on the provided text input area without any brackets.

• Negative indices are supported by including the negative (-) sign before any digit of the index. Example; 0-10 can be used to represent 010.

• Bravais-Miller indices are also supported, Example; 01-10.

Take note that the Text input area has filters that will halt processing if any form of data not matching Miller-indices was provided.

Parting

Partings are structural weaknesses caused by external stress. Since these will follow unique crystal faces in the same manner as cleavages, hence searching for them also becomes similar to the cleavage direction above. That is, parting direction is given as a {xxx} notation with xxx representing the Miller-index direction the parting was observed. To match the parting direction, do…

• Tap the 'Parting Direction' checkbox which activates a text input area on its right.

• Type your parting direction on the provided text input area without the brackets '{}'.

• Negative indices are similarly supported by including the negative (-) sign before any digit of the index. Example; 1-10 can be used to represent 110.

• Bravais-Miller indices are likewise supported, Example; 01-10.

Hardness

Hardness is the mineral affinity to resist scratches. Scales supported by Smart mineralogist include the popular Mohs scale of mineral hardness and the more accurate Vickers micro-hardness scale. The Mohs scale will accepts any number from 1.0 (talc) to 10.0 (diamonds) for comparison against know mineral harness. Do so by…

• Tapping the 'Mohs Hardness' checkbox to activate a text input area on its right.

• Input a digit between 1 and 10.0. Note that the text input field has filter which will prevent you from inputting any number outside the range of 1 – 10.

The Vickers hardness scale has greater flexibility that grants two options when searching. The first option allows you to match the hardness value which can be further restricted by specifying its load rating. To match your hardness against know Vickers harness. Do so by…

• Tapping the 'Vickers Hardness' checkbox to activate a text input area on its right.

• Input any value greater than 0 and you’re done.

To match the Vickers load rating...

• Tap the 'Vickers Load' checkbox to activate a 'Load range' drop down menu on its right.

• Tap the drop down menu to see the available load ratings.

• Select your desired load range to confirm your selection.

Take note that it is not necessary for you to match for both the Vickers hardness and its load rating. Both properties can be searched independent of one another.

Density/Specific Gravity

Density is the measure of mass per unit volume. Specific gravity is the ratio of the mineral’s density to the density of a reference liquid of density d. Smart mineralogist ships with specific gravity and density values in their measured and calculated state. This tool allows you to compare any value against the thousands of available SG or density values. This tool also has added flexibility on the results it returns, read the settings tip below to learn more. Both the 'Specific Gravity' and 'Calculated density' options behave the same way. To start using them, do so by…

• Tapping the 'Specific Gravity' or 'Calculated density' checkbox to activate the text input area on their right.

• Input your specific gravity or calculated density on the provided text input and you’re done. Similarly to other numeric tools, the specific gravity and calculated density input fields have filters to ensure the provided inputs are numerical figures and above zero or processing will be aborted.

Physical results card

When satisfied with your search parameters, tap the floating button at the lower right of the tool to begin the search. If results are found, you will receive a list of cards matching all your parameters. The cards will also provide a summary of the properties it has. Tapping any of the cards will direct you to the 'Mineral details' page of the mineral you tapped.