I remember in school there was a game, it was for either some sort of Mac or Apple... (I know they're the same thing, I think? I don't know I'm not an apple/mac user) But in said game, you had a flashlight, I don't know if there were colors or not but maybe? The flashlight was your timer. You would dig down, (side-scrolling style, not sure if it actually scrolled or was just a static screen) in search of precious minerals and stones, and when your flashlight ran out of batteries, you would test your stones with the Mohs scale, and other things like the color it would leave on other things... and each stone had a value. I think that was it, though there may have been more to it. The graphics weren't that far removed from the old blocky Atari systems. It was, from what I can remember, more of an educational game about geology, but I still loved it.

Anyone have any idea what it was called? The only mineral I remember being in it, (though I know there were a bunch) is ruby-silver. I think that was the most valuable mineral.

EDIT: I just noticed an option to "post as a question" right as I clicked post. My mistake.
EDIT II: Ok so before posting here, I googled "old apple games forum" and this site was the top choice... for some reason... hence my query. Yeah I don't think this is an "old apple games forum" lol.

Boy, I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say... was it Miner 2049er? He dug (or explored) mines with a flashlight/lantern, but I don't think it had all those stone testing abilities, so is obviously not it. Maybe that will get you a little further?

Yeah this game definitely had those stone testing things. I wish I could remember what they're called. All I remember is Mohs for hardness.

I don't even know if anyone else ever played it. For all I know it was obscure as all getup. It was on a 5 and a quarter inch floppy.. if I'm remembering my sizes right.

Apple is the company, Mac is a type of computer they make. They used to make Apple II and Apple III computers back in the '80s. Your reference to a 5.25" floppy would indicate an Apple II.

Maybe Murphy's Minerals?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHn2Xn-D4jE

Edit:
Description (taken from MobyGames):
"Murphy's Minerals is an educational game for the Apple II designed to teach students about the location and identification of different minerals.

Contains two educational games. In Tool Shed, the player is given a random mineral, and must determine its cleavage, color, density, hardness, luster, magnetic features, and streak on a ceramic plate. The player must identify the mineral name from this information. In Mineral Shop, the player is now employed at Murphy's Mineral Shop. They must search for valuable minerals in 1 of 3 mining locations by digging into the dirt. The player must identify materials as they are discovered, and must try to select only the most expensive materials to bring back to Murphy. The mining expedition is limited by battery flashlight power, and each dig or time spent identifying minerals drains battery power."