How to check the authenticity of your minerals?

Obviously, there is a recurring question that we find in all litho topics when we address the issue of mineral identification. In order to invite you all to carry out your own identifications or at least to get started, here is the ideal file that will allow you to do your own tests in order to avoid many pitfalls.

These are called hardness tests and are calculated according to a Mohs scale (See table below).

Of course, there are other means of control and identification, but these can only be carried out in a laboratory and with certain expensive devices.

In this article, the goal is to teach you how to do the simplest and least expensive of all in order to already have a first idea on the identification of your crystals and minerals.

If the mineral scratches the support then the mineral is harder than the support and conversely, if the support scratches the mineral then the mineral is softer than the test support.
Small example: If the mineral scratches a window, then it will probably be a mineral from the quartz family or above, topaz, corundum... If it is the window that scratches the mineral, then the mineral will probably be a mineral from the orthoclase family or below, apatite, fluorite...
Some classification tables to recognize which types or families your precious or non-precious minerals belong to.