You will need a sharp object such as a knife or fine blade slot screwdriver
Many decades ago I would run Tubbs to get in shape for some fun runs. When running this area I saw what looked like glass all over the ground and it made me mad. One run I took a break here and notice it was not glass but mica. This area was graded and the hill on the south sloped north.as a result the mica was uncovered and spread around. If you go to the the cliff you can see mica in the rocks. For your own safety, do not try to pry any rocks out of the cliff. there is plenty on the ground.
Pick a typical metamorphic or igneous rock and it is likely to contain mica. Mica is a common group of rock forming minerals that can create large crystals. They are made up of sheets of silica that readily split like the pages of a book and can be thinner than a page of a book. Clevavage is one of the properties to describe rocks and minerals. Even though mica has a perfect cleavage not all rocks and minerals have a cleavage rating. The hardest rock known has cleavage. Cutters will study for months to find the perfect spots to cleave the stone. I am talking about diamonds.
White mica is called muscovite and its crustals can become quite large. One crystal found in Canada measured 33 ft × 14 ft × 14 ft) and weighed about 330 tons
Biotite is a black mica which ontains large quanities of iron and magnesium. The radioactive elements in the mica can be measure to tell the age of the rocks.
The biggest use of mica is as a filler to lower the cost of a product. Drywall joint compound and paint are the two biggest users. Mica is used in the electronic industry as an insulator. Mica can be ground very finely and formed into any shape needed to insulate unwanted electricity in manufactured products. The auto industry used small flake mica in the painting and finishing to give the car a sparkling effect which became known as a metalic finsh. This sparkle effect can be used for decorating concret to plastics.
Take some time to find a large piece of mica and try to cleave it. If it possible take a picture of the pieces.
To log this earth cache email me the following information
The name of the cache
Your geo-name
Each person logging a find must submit there own answers. No multiple credits
1. From the description above what type of mica did you find?
2. Describe your attempt to cleave. Did it work and how many times could you cleave
3. How would you describe the color and shine
References: Rocks and Minerals by Sue Fuller and Wikipedia.