How to identify Native Metal

To correctly identify Native Metal (Native Metal), 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

   Varies significantly by metal: Gold (golden yellow), Silver (silver-white, tarnishes black), Copper (copper-red, tarnishes green), Platinum (steel-gray to silver-white), Iron (steel-gray to black).

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Distinctly metallic, often bright and reflective on fresh surfaces.

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Typically massive, dendritic, wire-like, platy, or granular. Can be found as nuggets or flakes.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Cubic, isometric, or hexagonal systems are common, but well-formed crystals are rare. Often found as irregular masses, wires, or scales.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   Generally absent or very poor. Most native metals exhibit hackly fracture due to their malleability.

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Hydrothermal veins, placer deposits (alluvial and eluvial), ultramafic and mafic igneous intrusions, basalt flows, meteorites, and rarely in sedimentary rocks under reducing conditions.

Key Facts

Hardness

Varies widely (e.g., Gold: 2.5-3; Copper: 2.5-3; Iron: 4-5; Platinum: 4-4.5 on Mohs scale)

Specific Gravity

High (e.g., Gold: 19.3; Platinum: 21.45; Silver: 10.5; Copper: 8.94; Iron: 7.87)

Crystal System

Typically Isometric (cubic) for many, Hexagonal for some (e.g., Osmium, Ruthenium)

Color

Characteristic metallic colors (golden yellow, silver-white, copper-red, steel-gray)

Luster

Metallic

Transparency

Opaque

Fracture

Hackly (due to malleability), rarely conchoidal

Cleavage

None to very poor

Composition

Pure metallic element (e.g., Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, Fe)

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Massive, dendritic, wire-like, platy, scales, nuggets, rarely well-formed crystals.
• Cleavage Type: Absent or very poor, not a diagnostic feature.
• Fracture Type: Hackly, due to their malleability and ductility.
• Tenacity: Malleable and ductile (can be hammered into sheets and drawn into wires), sectile (can be cut with a knife) for some (e.g., gold, silver, copper). Iron is tenacious.
• Luster Type: Metallic, often bright and reflective.

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