Mineral Specimen Cleaning and Development For the Amateur

Companion website hosting physical and chemical properties of minerals important for their cleaning and development. Cleaning details are not included here; for these, consult the book.
Interested in the book? Contact steve@dragon-minerals.com for details.

Click on a letter to access the corresponding mineral list.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

H = hardness (Mohs). Data is common knowledge or drawn from the literature cited with each mineral's entry.
Chemicals which should be avoided by the amateur (HF, aqua regia, cyanides, etc.) are not included here.
Where conflicts exist between sources only the most conservative information is given.

New data added frequently. Last update: July 30, 2025 (C minerals from Sinkankas)
Use the refresh or reload option on your browser to make sure you are seeing the newest version.

  My new self-published book is now available: Mineral Specimen Cleaning and Development for the Amateur (339 pages). $42 (pdf; 30 MB) or $55 (print) plus applicable shipping and sales tax. Note: Images in the pdf version are better than in the  print version. To order send an email to steve@dragon-minerals.com. Sample pages below (click to enlarge).










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