mineral

Quartz (Smoky or Impure Variety)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Grayish-brown, olive-greenish tint with white veining. Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to greasy. Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Color: Grayish-brown, olive-greenish tint with white veining
Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to greasy

Identified March 23, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the crystallization of magma or from hydrothermal veins. This specimen likely originated in a pegmatite or hydrothermal environment where mineral impurities like iron or natural irradiation caused the darker coloration/veining.

Uses & applications

Used in glass manufacturing, electronics (due to piezoelectric properties), construction as an aggregate, and widely collected as a decorative lapidary material or 'healing' crystal.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Specimens with this specific murky green-brown hue are often transitionary between clear quartz and smoky quartz, or contain inclusions of chlorite or actinolite.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its ability to scratch glass and its lack of cleavage (it breaks into curved, shell-like shards). Commonly found in mountainous regions worldwide. For collectors, look for the 'conchoidal' (bottle-glass) fracture surfaces visible on the edges of this specimen.

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