mineral

Clear Quartz (Rock Crystal)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

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

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Colorless to white/cloudy
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified January 8, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

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

Formation & geological history

Quartz forms in a wide variety of environments, most commonly by crystallizing from cooling magma or precipitating from hydrothermal veins. It can be found in igneous rocks like granite, metamorphic rocks like quartzite, and sedimentary rocks like sandstone.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in the electronics industry for its piezoelectric properties (oscillators in watches and radios), in glass manufacturing, as an abrasive in sandblasting, and in jewelry and crystal healing collections.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Its name comes from the German word 'quarz', which originally meant 'hard'. Ancient Greeks believed clear quartz was deeply frozen ice that would never melt.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it can scratch glass), lack of cleavage, and characteristic hexagonal crystal points if present. It is commonly found in gravel beds, mountain ranges, and as druzy coatings inside geodes or rock crevices worldwide.

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