Lustre (American English: luster) is a description of the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock or mineral. For example, a diamond is said to have an adamantine lustre and pyrite is said to have a metallic lustre. American English is the form of the English language used mostly in the United States of America. ... Quartz crystal A crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. ... Sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of North America. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is iron disulfide, FeS2. ...

The word lustre traces its origins back to the Latin word lux, meaning "light", and generally implies radiance, gloss, or brilliance. Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

Other descriptive terms used for gems include vitreous, like glass; resinous, like amber; waxy, like jade; greasy, like soapstone; pearly; and silky. The materials definition of a glass is a uniform amorphous solid material, usually produced when a suitably viscous molten material cools very rapidly, thereby not giving enough time for a regular crystal lattice to form. ... AMBER (an acronym for Assisted Model Building and Energy Refinement) is a force field for molecular dynamics originally developed by Peter Kollmans group in the University of California, San Francisco. ... A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jadeite jade buttons Jade An ornamental stone, jade is a name applied to two different silicate minerals. ... The lid of a soapstone box to show the characteristic look of the stone. ...

The term is also used to describe other items with a particular sheen (for example, fabric, especially silk and satin, or metals). Cloth Fibre Channel fabric ... Silk (< OE sioloc probably < L. SERICVS / Gr. ... Satin is a thick cloth that has a glossy surface and a dull back. ... For alternative meanings see metal (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Hornblende for a description of lustrous ores.