How to identify Graphite

To correctly identify Graphite (Graphite), check each of these features in order. Many rocks and minerals look alike, so cross-reference multiple properties before deciding.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Color

   Overall color and any zoning or banding

   Steel-gray to black

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Metallic to dull, often greasy

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Soft, greasy feel, often flaky or scaly

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Hexagonal crystals, typically in flakes, scales, or massive aggregates; rarely as distinct tabular crystals

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   Perfect basal cleavage (one direction)

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Metamorphic rocks (e.g., schists, gneisses, marbles), igneous rocks (e.g., pegmatites, kimberlites), hydrothermal veins, and meteorites. It is often found in association with quartz, mica, feldspar, and tourmaline.

Key Facts

Hardness

1-2 on the Mohs scale

Specific Gravity

2.09-2.23 g/cm³

Crystal System

Hexagonal

Color

Steel-gray to black

Luster

Metallic to dull, greasy

Transparency

Opaque

Fracture

Uneven to flaky

Cleavage

Perfect basal (0001)

Composition

Carbon (C)

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Typically occurs as flakes, scales, lamellar, columnar, radial, or earthy masses. Rarely as distinct hexagonal tabular crystals.
• Cleavage Type: Perfect basal cleavage (one direction, parallel to the hexagonal layers), allowing it to split into thin, flexible sheets.
• Fracture Type: Uneven to flaky, due to its layered structure.
• Tenacity: Sectile (can be cut with a knife) and flexible (thin flakes can be bent without breaking).
• Luster Type: Metallic to submetallic, often with a characteristic greasy sheen.

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