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natural history page title
Identifying rocks, minerals and fossils
 Introduction
What is a rock?
What is a mineral?
What is a fossil?
Rock, mineral or 
    fossil?

Rock key

Mineral key
   
Unknown 
        mineral

   
Dark mineral 
       
key

   
Biotite
   
Pyrite
   
Unknown dark 
        mineral    
     

    Light mineral 
        key

   
Calcite
   
Quartz
   
Unknown light 
        mineral


Fossil key
Helpful books

      

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Light mineral key

Which of the descriptions below suits your specimen best?
 

thumbnail image of the mineral calcite leading to more information

thumbnail image of the mineral quartz linking to more information

thumbnail image of the mineral chalcedony linking to general information about minerals

Pointed crystals, can be scratched.



White, colourless or pink crystals (which may or may not have a good shape), very hard. Neither of those descriptions fits my specimen!