In addition to their use in doing the streak test, streak plates can be used any time you need a small amount of powdered mineral. In doing the acid test to distinguish calcite from dolomite, dolomite might require being powdered to show effervescence with dilute hydrochloric acid. Simply use the streak plate to make some powder of your specimen and add acid to it right on the streak plate. For this test, a black streak plate makes observation easier because powdered dolomite is white.

A few minerals will produce an odor upon being broken or powdered. For example, sphalerite releases an odor of sulfur when it is broken or powdered. Scraping it across a streak plate is a convenient way to conduct this test.

Hints to other mineral properties can be obtained while doing the streak test. Minerals harder than the streak plate are quickly identified. Experienced testers can estimate the hardness of a specimen by how difficult it is to mark the streak plate. Olivine often reveals its granular nature, augite often reveals its splintery cleavage, and black tourmaline often reveals its brittleness. When you do the streak test, look for more than the color of a specimen’s powder.