These terms describe different types of luster or surface appearance of minerals. "Vitreous" refers to a glassy luster, "resinous" describes a shiny appearance similar to resin, "adamantine" indicates a brilliant, diamond-like luster, and "silky" means the surface has a silky appearance due to fibrous crystal structure.
luster
The vitreous humor is a clear, gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens of the eye and the retina.
The way a mineral reflects light from its surface is known as its luster. Luster can be described as metallic, vitreous (like glass), pearly, silky, or dull, depending on the quality and type of light reflection. It is commonly used to help identify and classify minerals.
The vitreous jelly, also known as the vitreous humor, is a transparent, gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens of the eye and the retina. It helps maintain the shape of the eye and plays a role in transmitting light to the retina for vision.
Diamonds have a very high lustre known as adamantine, which gives them a brilliant and sparkling appearance. This lustre is a result of their high refractive index and exceptional light dispersion properties.
The luster of corundum is typically vitreous to adamantine, giving it a shiny appearance.
A luster test is used to determine the appearance of a mineral's surface shine or reflectivity. It involves observing how light interacts with the mineral's surface to categorize its luster as metallic, submetallic, vitreous, pearly, adamantine, silky, or resinous. This test can be helpful in identifying minerals.
Vitreous
The lustre of calcite is typically vitreous to resinous.
Dull, earthy, and waxy are terms commonly used to describe non-metallic luster in minerals. These minerals do not reflect much light and appear more matte or opaque compared to minerals with metallic luster.
The luster of apatite is vitreous to resinous.
Vitreous. Otherwise, no.
Luster in a mineral refers to the way light reflects off its surface. It describes how shiny or dull the mineral appears and helps determine its metallic or non-metallic nature. Luster can be categorized as metallic, submetallic, vitreous, resinous, silky, pearly, or dull.
transparent, adamantine to waxy.
Ruby displays a vitreous to adamantine luster, which means it appears shiny and glass-like when light bounces off its surface.
Pink tourmaline typically exhibits a vitreous to resinous lustre, which gives it a shiny appearance when polished. This lustre enhances the gemstone's beauty and adds to its overall attractiveness.
Adamantine is a mineral, often referred to as adamantine spar. It is a silky brown form of corundum. It has a Mohs rating of 9. Adamantine is also used as an adjective to refer to non-metallic, brilliant light reflecting and transmitting properties, known as adamantine luster. Diamond is the best known material to be described as having adamantine luster, although anglesite, cerussite and corundum in some of its forms are also described in this way.Adamantine can also refer to any fictitious or mythological material that is extremely hard (often at least as hard as diamond) or has some other special properties.