What is luster in mineralogy?

Luster describes the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral, tracing its origins to the Latin word for light. Because it varies along a continuous spectrum without rigid boundaries, descriptive terms are often combined or can differ between sources. Mineralogists use specific categories ranging from vitreous and metallic to earthy and silky to characterize these optical properties.

What we know

• Luster refers to the manner in which light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral. [1, 2]
• The word luster traces its origins back to the Latin word lux, meaning light. [2]
• Terms used to describe luster include earthy, metallic, greasy, silky, and vitreous. [2]
• Luster varies over a wide continuum, meaning there are no rigid boundaries between different types. [2]

Still open

• Different sources can describe the same mineral differently due to the lack of rigid boundaries and wide continuum of luster types.

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureHow do minerals form and originate?
• how we knowWhat is mineralogy?
• a case in pointWhat are selenite crystals?
• how it workedHow does chatoyancy work?
• compared withWhy do spelling differences exist for luster?
• an unexpected connectionHow does the Moon connect to clear gypsum crystals?The transparent mineral variety selenite derives its name from the Greek word for the Moon, sharing an etymological root with the lunar connection despite containing no selenium.

Sources

• [1]lustre (Wikidata Q11998326) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Lustre (mineralogy) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Selenite (gypsum) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Lustre · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Mineralogy · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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