PEGMATITE
Type: Igneous (Intrusive, Felsic)
Texture: Pegmatitic (extremely coarse-grained; crystals >2.5 cm, often several cm+)
Composition: Quartz + K-feldspar + plagioclase ± mica, tourmaline, beryl
Color: Light (pink, white, cream)
Crystal Size: Very large, interlocking
Formation:
● Late-stage magma crystallization
High water/volatile content → large crystal growth
Diagnostic Features:
● Crystals dramatically larger than granite
● Interlocking feldspar + quartz
● May show graphic texture (angular quartz intergrowth
Common Confusions:
● Granite → granite has smaller, more uniform grains
Diorite → pegmatite is lighter and much coarser
Field ID Trick:
If crystals are huge and felsic → pegmatite.
PERIDOTITE
Type: Igneous (Intrusive, Ultramafic)
Texture: Phaneritic (coarse-grained)
Composition: Mostly olivine ± pyroxene
Color: Olive green to dark green
Density: Very dense
Formation:
● Upper mantle rock
● Rare at surface
Diagnostic Features:
● Dominantly green
● No quartz
● No feldspar
● Heavy
Common Confusions:
● Gabbro → gabbro has visible black/white mix (plagioclase)
● Basalt → basalt fine-grained; peridotite coarse
Field ID Trick:
Green + coarse + ultramafic = peridotite.
BANDED IRON FORMATION (BIF)
Type: Chemical Sedimentary
Texture: Banded
Composition: Alternating hematite/magnetite + chert
Color: Red, black, silver, gray
Formation:
● Precambrian oceans
Oxygen reacting with dissolved iron
Diagnostic Features:
● Very distinct alternating bands
● Metallic red/black layers
May be magnetic
Common Confusions:
● Gneiss → gneiss bands are mineral segregation; BIF bands chemical layers
Field ID Trick:
Thin, repeated red/gray bands = BIF.
BAUXITE
Type: Chemical/Residual Sedimentary
Composition: Aluminum hydroxides
Texture: Earthy, pisolitic (pea-sized spheres)
Color: Reddish-brown, tan
Formation:
● Intense tropical weathering
Diagnostic Features:
● Rounded pisolites
● Soft, earthy
● Aluminum ore
Common Confusions:
● Laterite → similar but more iron-rich
● Ironstone → heavier, metallic
Field ID Trick:
Pea-like texture = bauxite.
CHERT / FLINT
Type: Chemical or Biochemical Sedimentary
Composition: Microcrystalline silica (SiO₂)
Texture: Very fine, smooth
Hardness: 7
Fracture: Conchoidal
Color: Gray, white, red, brown, black
Diagnostic Features:
● Scratches glass
● Smooth curved fracture
● No visible grains
Common Confusions:
● Quartzite → quartzite shows sand grains
● Obsidian → obsidian glassy, lighter weight
Field ID Trick:
Conchoidal + very hard + microcrystalline = chert.
DOLOSTONE
Type: Chemical Sedimentary
Composition: Dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂)
Color: Gray, tan
Texture: Crystalline
Acid Reaction:
● Weak fizz unless powdered
Diagnostic Features:
● Looks like limestone
● Poor acid reaction
Common Confusions:
● Limestone → strong acid reaction
● Marble → metamorphic crystalline texture
Field ID Trick:
If limestone look but weak fizz → dolostone.
OOLITIC LIMESTONE
Type: Biochemical Sedimentary
Composition: Calcite
Texture: Oolitic (small spheres)
Acid Reaction: Strong fizz
Diagnostic Features:
● Round ooids visible
● Sand-sized but spherical
● Reacts strongly with HCl
Common Confusions:
● Sandstone → no acid reaction
● Coquina → shell fragments visible
Field ID Trick:
Fish-egg appearance + fizz = oolitic limestone.
TRAVERTINE
Type: Chemical Limestone
Texture: Banded, porous
Color: Cream, tan
Acid Reaction: Strong
Formation:
● Precipitated from springs/caves
Diagnostic Features:
● Layered bands
● Often porous
Common Confusions:
● Marble → crystalline, non-porous
● Limestone → lacks banding
Field ID Trick:
Layered + chemical + limestone = travertine.
AZURITE
Type: Mineral (Copper carbonate)
Color: Deep blue
Hardness: 3.5–4
Streak: Light blue
Acid Reaction: Weak fizz
Diagnostic Features:
● Intense blue color
● Associated with malachite
Common Confusions:
● Sodalite → harder, no acid reaction
Field ID Trick:
Bright blue + soft + copper ore = azurite.
MALACHITE
Type: Mineral (Copper carbonate)
Color: Bright green (banded)
Hardness: 3.5–4
Streak: Light green
Acid Reaction: Yes
Diagnostic Features:
● Concentric green bands
● Copper association
Common Confusions:
● Green calcite → lacks strong banding
Field ID Trick:
Banded bright green = malachite.
FLUORAPATITE
Type: Mineral (Phosphate)
Hardness: 5
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Color: Green, blue, brown
Cleavage: Poor
Diagnostic Features:
● Often hexagonal crystals
● Harder than calcite
Common Confusions:
● Quartz → quartz harder (7)
Field ID Trick:
Hexagonal + hardness 5 = apatite.
BERYL
Type: Mineral (Silicate)
Hardness: 7.5–8
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Cleavage: Poor
Fracture: Conchoidal
Colors: Green (emerald), blue (aquamarine), pink
Diagnostic Features:
● Hexagonal prisms
● Very hard
Common Confusions:
● Quartz → softer and lacks typical beryl prism shape
Field ID Trick:
Hexagonal + very hard + colored variety = beryl.
EPIDOTE
Type: Mineral (Silicate – Sorosilicate group)
Chemical Formula: Ca₂(Al,Fe)₃(SiO₄)₃(OH)
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Hardness: 6–7
Streak: White to colorless
Luster: Vitreous
Cleavage: One perfect cleavage, one poor
Fracture: Uneven to conchoidal
Specific Gravity: ~3.3–3.5
Color: Pistachio green (most diagnostic), yellow-green, olive green, sometimes brownish
Formation
● Common in regional metamorphic rocks (especially greenschist facies)
Forms from metamorphism of basalt and other mafic rocks
● Also occurs in hydrothermal veins
● Often associated with chlorite, actinolite, quartz
Diagnostic Features
● Distinctive pistachio-green color
● Elongated prismatic crystals
● One prominent cleavage
● Moderate hardness (scratches glass weakly)
● High specific gravity compared to many green minerals
Often granular in metamorphic rocks
Field ID Tricks
● If you see pistachio green in a metamorphic rock → suspect epidote.
● If green mineral scratches glass AND has cleavage → likely epidote (not olivine).
● Occurs commonly in greenschist.
OLIVINE
Type: Mineral (Silicate)
Hardness: 6.5–7
Cleavage: Poor
Fracture: Conchoidal
Color: Olive green
Diagnostic Features:
● Granular masses
● Common in basalt/peridotite
Common Confusions:
● Green glass → glass has no crystal structure
Field ID Trick:
Olive green granular mineral = olivine.
SODALITE
Type: Mineral (Feldspathoid)
Hardness: 5.5–6
Color: Royal blue with white veins
Cleavage: Poor
Acid Reaction: None
Diagnostic Features:
● Blue color
● Occurs in silica-poor igneous rocks
Common Confusions:
● Azurite → azurite softer + acid reaction
Field ID Trick:
Blue + no fizz + moderate hardness = sodalite.