mineral

Quartz with Muscovite Mica

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with Potassium aluminum silicate hydroxide fluoride [KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2]

Hardness: 7 (Quartz) and 2-2.5 (Mica); Color: White to translucent (Quartz), silvery-green (Mica); Luster: Vitreous to pearly; Crystal structure: Trigonal/Monoclinic; Cleavage: None (Quartz), perfect basal (Mica)

Hardness: 7 (Quartz) and 2-2
Color: White to translucent (Quartz), silvery-green (Mica)
Luster: Vitreous to pearly

Identified May 31, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in granitic pegmatites or hydrothermal veins through the cooling of silica-rich fluids. Often formed during late-stage igneous crystallization in high-pressure environments.

Uses & applications

Used for mineral collecting, crystal healing, and as a source of industrial silica and mica for electrical insulation or lubricants.

Geological facts

Quartz is the most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Mica is known for its ability to split into extremely thin, flexible sheets.

Field identification & locations

Identify by the high hardness of the white quartz (scratches glass) and the presence of reflective, flaky sheets of mica. Common in mountainous regions with metamorphic or igneous roots.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Biotite Schist

Biotite-rich Schist [K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2]

metamorphic