Regents Earth Science Mrs. Cavanagh
Name__________________________________
Per _____
Date___________________________________
Lab- Minerals in Real Life- Jewelry
Purpose: You will see how minerals are used to create pieces of jewelry and create your own jewelry item.
Part A: Slideshow of Jewelry Made From Minerals: View the slideshow and answer the following
questions:
1. What characteristics of minerals are most important in deciding whether they would be appropriate for
making into jewelry and why?
Part B: Making Jewelry:
1. Get the following: gemstone bead, necklace, cord, scratch plate, streak plate, penny, mineral chart.
2. Perform some mineral identification tests on your gemstone sample to decide what mineral it is. Do not
perform any tests that will damage the mineral. Write the name of your gemstone mineral
here:___________________________
3. Write some characteristics about your gemstone sample in the spaces below. Use the ESRT.
Hardness:____________
Luster:____________
Streak:____________
Color(s) :____________________________________
Uses:
Other information:
4. Create a necklace with your gemstone piece. Pass the metal ring through the clasp of the necklace and
position it near the middle. WOW! You now have a necklace. You can keep it for yourself or give it as
a gift!
Questions: Put answers in blanks to the side.
Base your answers to questions 1 & 2 on the Earth Science Reference Tables and the diagram and table below.
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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_____1. If the volume of mineral sample A is 28 cubic centimeters, sample A is most likely
(1) copper
(3) chalcopyrite
(2) galena
(4) dolomite
_____2. Under identical conditions, several samples of the mineral pyrite are measured, and their densities are
compared. The values obtained should show that
(1) rounded samples are more dense than rough samples
(2) large samples are more dense than small samples
(3) small samples are more dense than large samples
(4) all the pyrite samples have the same density
3. Which mineral will scratch glass (hardness = 5.5), but not pyrite?
(1) gypsum
(2) fluorite
(3) orthoclase
(4) quartz
Base your answers to questions 4 through 6 on the “Properties of Common Minerals” chart in the Earth Science
Reference Tables.
4. Which mineral leaves a green-black powder when rubbed against an unglazed porcelain plate?
(1) galena
(3) hematite
(2) graphite
(4) pyrite
5. Which mineral scratches dolomite and is scratched by olivine?
(1) galena
(3) quartz
(2) potassium feldspar
(4) muscovite mica
6. Which statement about the minerals plagioclase feldspar, gypsum, biotite mica, and talc can best be inferred
from the chart?
(1) These minerals have the same chemical and physical properties.
(2) These minerals have different chemical properties, but they have similar physical properties.
(3) These minerals have different physical and chemical properties, but they have identical uses.
(4) The physical and chemical properties of these minerals determine how humans use them.
7. Which mineral property changes the most in quartz?
1. cleavage
2. luster
3. density
4. color
8. Which of the following mineral properties can you NOT tell by looking at a mineral?
1. luster
2. hardness
3. cleavage
4. crystal form
9. The internal atomic structure of a mineral most likely determines the mineral’s
(1) color, streak, and age
(2) origin, exposure, and fracture
(3) size, location, and luster
(4) hardness, cleavage, and crystal shape
10. How are the minerals biotite mica and muscovite mica different?
(1) Biotite mica is colorless, but muscovite mica is not.
(2) Biotite mica contains iron and/or magnesium, but muscovite mica does not.
(3) Muscovite mica scratches quartz, but biotite mica does not.
(4) Muscovite mica cleaves into thin sheets, but biotite mica does not.