How to check the authenticity of your minerals?

Obviously there is a very recurring question that we find in all litho subjects when we approach the question 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 which will allow you to carry out your own tests in order to avoid many pitfalls

This is called hardness testing and is calculated using a Mohs scale (see table below).

Of course there are other means of control and identification but these will only be possible in the 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 less hard than the test support.
Small example: If the mineral scratches a window, then it will undoubtedly be either a mineral from the quartz family or above, topaz, corundum... If it is the window which scratches the mineral, then the mineral will undoubtedly a mineral from the orthoclase family or below, apatite, fluorite...
Some classification tables to recognize which types or families your minerals are precious or not.