GeoMiner Free earth-science tools

Built by a geologist

White Minerals: Quartz, Calcite, Feldspar and Look-Alikes

Quartz, calcite, feldspar, gypsum, and halite can all be white or colourless. Hardness, cleavage, and acid reaction usually narrow the group faster than colour. Never taste an unknown specimen. Check whether a fingernail scratches the specimen; this quickly separates very soft candidates such as gypsum. Compare a steel tool and glass test to place the specimen in a broad hardness range. Look for cleavage planes: calcite, feldspar, gypsum, and halite show characteristic cleavage, while quartz commonly fractures conchoidally. Apply dilute acid only with appropriate training and eye protection; calcite commonly effervesces readily. A white weathering rind may hide a darker fresh mineral. Do not use taste as a halite test on field specimens because contaminants may be harmful. Milky quartz can contain fractures and inclusions that resemble cleavage at first glance.

Verification resources

Cross-check terminology, classification, methods, and safety with these authoritative external resources.

  • IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
  • Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.

Read GeoMiner's editorial methodology.

JavaScript is loading the interactive GeoMiner experience. The identification tools provide educational candidates, not laboratory confirmation.