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Introduction
Color
Streak
Transparency
Luster
Hardness
Cleavage
Fracture
Specific Gravity
Crystal Form
Mineral Matters
Regional Minerals
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Fracture
Not all minerals cleave easily. Some fracture instead. Unlike cleavages, which are usually clean, flat breaks, fractures can be smoothly curved, irregular, jagged or splintery.
The most common types of fracture are conchoidal (quartz) , fibrous or splintery, hackly (copper), uneven or irregular.
The sample of malachite shown here has a conchoidal fracture; it's smooth and curved.
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