How does a mineral's streak relate to its color?

Streak is closely related to color, but is a different property because the color of the mineral may be different than the color of the streak. Streak is actually the color of the powder of a mineral. read more

The streak (also called "powder color") of a mineral is the color of the powder produced when it is dragged across an un-weathered surface. Unlike the apparent color of a mineral, which for most minerals can vary considerably, the trail of finely ground powder generally has a more consistent characteristic color, and is thus an important diagnostic tool in mineral identification. read more

Streak is the color of a crushed mineral's powder. The color of a mineral's powder may differ from the actual color of the mineral. This property can be useful for mineral identification. Almost every mineral has an inherent streak color, no matter what color the actual mineral is. read more