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Showerthought: My campfire fail made me stop judging rocks by color
I thought a black rock was coal and tried to burn it. It was just basalt, so now I test hardness first. Saved me from looking silly again.
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claire_hall6mo ago
Color can still be a decent first clue though. Hardness just confirms it.
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violal546mo ago
Actually, color is famously unreliable for mineral ID, even as a first guess. Something like quartz can be clear, purple, pink, or smoky grey. Hardness is way more useful from the start.
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laurap496mo ago
Okay but honestly color catches my eye first every time. Sure hardness tells you more, but I'm gonna notice if something's bright green before I start scratching it.
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