mineral

Quartz Vein in Sedimentary Matrix

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with host rock

Hardness 7 on Mohs scale (quartz) vs 3-4 (matrix), milky white to tan color, vitreous to dull luster, hexagonal crystal system in quartz, no cleavage, conchoidal fracture

Identified February 25, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

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

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness 7 on Mohs scale (quartz) vs 3-4 (matrix), milky white to tan color, vitreous to dull luster, hexagonal crystal system in quartz, no cleavage, conchoidal fracture

Formation & geological history

Formed through hydrothermal processes where silica-rich hot fluids are injected into fractures of existing sedimentary or metamorphic rocks, cooling to form crystalline quartz. This sample shows layers suggesting distinct depositional events.

Uses & applications

Quartz is used extensively in glassmaking, electronics (piezoelectric properties), abrasives, and as a gemstone. This specific rough specimen is primarily used as a decorative collector's piece or geological study sample.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Vein quartz often acts as a 'host' for precious metals like gold, which can be deposited by the same hydrothermal fluids.

Field identification & locations

Can be identified in the field by its ability to scratch glass and its resistance to weathering compared to the surrounding rock. Common in mountain belts and areas with past tectonic activity. Collectors look for the sharp contact line between the white mineral and the tan host rock.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

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

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral

Epidote

Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)

mineral