adamantine lustre

mineralogy

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July 23, 2026

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In mineralogy, adamantine lustre describes a brilliant, diamond-like shine on a mineral's surface. This type of lustre is characteristic of transparent or translucent minerals that possess high refractive indices, typically between 1.9 and 2.5, and considerable density. Minerals like diamond, cerussite, and anglesite exhibit this quality. Adamantine lustre is a key visual property used in identifying minerals, stemming from how the mineral's surface interacts with light.12

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mineral
Lustre
asbestos [Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄]); and adamantine, having the brilliant lustre of diamond, exhibited by minerals with a high refractive index comparable to diamond and which as such refract light as strongly as the latter (examples are cerussite [PbCO₃] and anglesite [PbSO₄]).
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asbestos [Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄]); and adamantine, having the brilliant lustre of diamond, exhibited by minerals with a high refractive index comparable to diamond and which as such refract light as strongly as the latter (examples are cerussite [PbCO₃] and anglesite [PbSO₄]).
Read More