It’ll be a snap to identify gemstones once Robert Downs finishes his library of spectral fingerprints for all the Earth’s minerals. Downs is almost halfway there. So far, the associate professor of ...

Identifying a mineral might sound straightforward: Analyze its chemistry, compare it to known minerals and voilà. But for geologists, this process can be a time-consuming puzzle requiring specialized ...

Major Funding by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation and Idaho National Laboratory. Additional Funding by the Friends of Idaho Public Television and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Science ...

Test your rock & mineral smarts—are you a Rock Star? Think you know rocks and minerals? Take the Science Trek quiz! Test your smarts on gold, salt, Earth’s oldest rocks, gemstones on Mars, and the ...

Identifying minerals blends careful observation with dependable tests that reveal each specimen’s unique signature. Geologists examine hardness, streak, luster, cleavage, and crystal habit to tell ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. There would be no bright and colorful fireworks without rocks and ...

Indicator minerals, also known as pathfinder minerals, are used by those engaged in mineral exploration to effectively narrow down the search area for many different types of ore deposits. When found ...