GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Luster is how a mineral reflects light. The terms metallic and nonmetallic describe the basic types of luster.

Detailed explanation-2: -The luster of a mineral refers to how it reflects light from its surface. When in everyday speech we describe objects as shiny or dull or metallic, we are talking about their luster.

Detailed explanation-3: -Luster: A mineral’s luster is the overall sheen of its surface – it may have the sheen of polished metal, or that of an unpolished metal that is pitted by weathering – or it may have the sheen of glass, or look dull or earthy, etc.

Detailed explanation-4: -In an introductory course, luster is a described as a property of light reflection that separates metallic from non-metallic minerals. Determining luster can be difficult for a beginner.

Detailed explanation-5: -Luster describes how the mineral reflects light. Metallic luster looks like a shiny metal such as chrome, steel, silver, or gold. Metallic minerals are also always opaque. Non-metallic minerals may be shiny and reflect light, however, they do not look like a metal.