mineral

Quartz Crystal Fragment

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: Colorless to white/light grey, Luster: Vitreous (glassy), Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65

Identified June 2, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: Colorless to white/light grey, Luster: Vitreous (glassy), Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed from cooling silica-rich magma or hydrothermal veins. Quartz is found in almost all geological environments and across all geological ages, typically crystallizing as mineral-rich hot water cools in crustal cracks.

Uses & applications

Used in glassmaking, abrasives, electronics (piezoelectric properties), and as a gemstone in jewelry or for decorative collecting.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. It was historically believed by ancient Greeks to be ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it can scratch glass), its glassy luster, and its characteristic conchoidal (shell-like) fracture. Found worldwide in nearly all mountainous or silicate-rich terrains.