Blue Lace Agate

Resistance to being scratched, ranked on the Mohs scale from 1 (talc, marked by a fingernail) to 10 (diamond, scratches everything below it). The classic field test.

How the mineral's surface reflects light — from metallic and glassy to silky, pearly, or dull. Often the first clue to identification in the field.

The hue of the mineral itself. Often unreliable for identification — many species occur in several colours depending on trace impurities or radiation damage.

One of seven geometric families that describe a mineral's atomic symmetry: isometric (cubic), tetragonal, hexagonal, trigonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic. Two non-crystalline classes — amorphous and icosahedral — also appear.

Chemical elements that make up the mineral's ideal formula, listed by atomic symbol with their share of the total mass.