mineral

Clear/White Quartz (Rock Crystal)

Quartz (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)

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

Identified March 1, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on the 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

Forms in all types of environments but most commonly from cooling igneous magma or hydrothermal veins. These specimens appear to be crystalline fragments likely from a vein deposit. Geological age varies from billions of years to relatively young tertiary deposits.

Uses & applications

Used in glassmaking, abrasives, and as a gemstone (jewelry). High-purity quartz are used in electronics for oscillators and in watchmaking. Also popular as metaphysical or 'healing' stones by collectors.

Geological facts

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

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife (hardness 7) and its lack of cleavage (it breaks in curved, glassy flakes). Commonly found in riverbeds, within granite outcrops, or as crystals in vugs. These specific specimens are 'rough' or 'un-cut' fragments.

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