A Key for Identifying Minerals

A Key for Identifying Minerals

Introduction

The correct identification of minerals is important for scientific, educational, and commercial reasons. For many years, paper-based identification keys have provided the main support tool to help those inexperienced in mineral and rock identification. However, over 20 years ago, Professor Sue Golding at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia developed a Lucid matrix key to minerals. It was built using Lucid v1 software and published in 1999 as a CD product by Knowledge Books and Software, Brisbane, Australia.

The content of this key has now been redeployed, using the latest Lucid4 software, and made available as a free, online Lucid matrix key.

Includes a Best Practice Guidelines for identifying a mineral.

The Lucid team are grateful to the following for permission to publish this key online: 

  • Emeritus Professor Sue Golding, School of School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, at the University of Queensland, the original author of the key, and 
  • Rob Watts, Knowledge Books & Software, Australia (https://kbs.com.au/), the original publisher of the CD version of the key.