mineral
Quartz (Milky to Clear)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Mohs hardness: 7, Color: Colorless to white/gray, Luster: Vitreous, Crystal structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific gravity: 2.65
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness: 7, Color: Colorless to white/gray, Luster: Vitreous, Crystal structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Quartz forms in a wide variety of environments, including cooling magma (igneous), precipitation from hydrothermal veins, and metamorphic processes. It is common in crustal rocks of all ages.
Uses & applications
Used in glassmaking, electronics (piezoelectric properties), abrasives, construction sand, and as a gemstone (jewelry) or collector specimen.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. It is highly resistant to both chemical and physical weathering.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and conchoidal (glass-like) fracture. Found globally, especially in granite, sandstone, and pegmatites.
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Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
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Epidote
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Nephrite Jade
Nephrite
Mineral/Rock
Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)
Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)
Metamorphic Rock
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Green Apatite on Albite
Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]
mineral
Epidote
Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)
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