mineral

Quartz (Milky or Common Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: White to translucent/clear. Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to greasy. Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: Poor/None (fractures conchoidally). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Color: White to translucent/clear
Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to greasy

Identified March 25, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the crystallization of magma or from hydrothermal veins. It can be found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments across all geological ages, often as a primary constituent of granite or as veins in older rock units.

Uses & applications

In industry, it is used for glass making, abrasives, and electronics (due to piezoelectric properties). In construction, it is a primary component of concrete and mortar. Higher quality specimens are used for jewelry, carvings, and as healing crystals in the metaphysical community.

Geological facts

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

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it can scratch glass and steel), its lack of cleavage, and its characteristic conchoidal (shell-like) fracture. It is ubiquitous worldwide, found in abundance in mountain ranges, riverbeds, and beaches.

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