Industrial and medical x-radiography can be used in a new manner analogous to back-scattered electron microscopy to identify the approximate mineralogy of rock temper particles in ceramics, but without their destruction by thin-sectioning and at very low cost. Mineralogical traits similar to those applied in petrography to identify mineralogy are visible in a magnified radiograph. They include particle radiographic grey level contrast, which varies with specific density and mineralogy; morphology; cleavage; and internal texture. Blind tests tha evaluate the specificity and accuracy of the method are presented.