vitreous lustre
mineralogy
Quick Summary
In mineralogy, vitreous lustre describes the appearance of a mineral's surface, resembling that of broken glass. This is the most common type of lustre observed in the mineral kingdom. It is a characteristic of nonmetallic minerals that are translucent or transparent and possess refractive indices typically between 1.3 and 1.8. Quartz is a prime example of a mineral exhibiting vitreous lustre. Lustre, in general, is determined by a mineral's refractive power, transparency, and structure, influencing how it reflects light.1
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