mineral

Quartz (Rosy/Clear variety)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to pale pink; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Colorless to pale pink
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified June 21, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to pale pink; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Forms in a wide variety of environments, most commonly from the cooling of silica-rich magma or from hydrothermal veins. It can be found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks across all geological ages.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in glass making, electronics (due to piezoelectric properties), construction as an aggregate, and in jewelry and decorative carvings.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Its name comes from the Greek word 'krustallos', meaning ice, as ancient Greeks believed quartz was ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it will scratch glass), its lack of cleavage, and its characteristic waxy to glassy luster. Found globally, especially in mountain ranges and river beds.