The chemical group is represented by a distinctive element or compound in the mineral that makes up a fundamental part of it. Every mineral with a distinctive base element or compound belongs to a particular group. Minerals will be sorted by their chemical group with this selection. Sort by Color Minerals have distinct colors, but most occur in more than one color. In this method, every possible color range of each mineral is displayed based on the selection of the color chosen.
All minerals have a characteristic streak.
The streak of a mineral represents a minerals true inherent color. Any specimen of a particular mineral, no matter what color, will always have the same color when crushed into a powder. The streak of a mineral is tested by swiping it against the underside of porcelain tile, and observing the color of the streak on the tile. Minerals are grouped by their streak color in this selection method. Sort by Hardness Hardness, which is the resistance of a mineral to scratches, is measured on a scale known as Mohs Scale .