Guides

Each guide answers one question completely. No filler, and no advice that requires equipment you do not have.

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  Gold vs Pyrite: Six Tests That Settle It in Two Minutes

  Six field tests that separate real gold from pyrite, chalcopyrite and mica — using a knife, a ceramic tile and your hands. No chemicals required.

  4 min read

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  Calcite vs Quartz: How to Tell Them Apart Every Time

  Calcite and quartz look almost identical and behave completely differently. Four tests — hardness, acid, cleavage and crystal shape — separate them in under a minute.

  4 min read

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  Hematite vs Magnetite: The Magnet and the Streak Plate

  Two black iron minerals, two tests. A magnet and a ceramic tile separate hematite from magnetite reliably — here is why, and what to do about the confusing cases.

  3 min read

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  Jade or Serpentine? What Most Green Stone Actually Is

  Most green stone sold as jade is serpentine. Four practical tests — the knife test, heft, sound and translucency — tell you which one you have.

  3 min read