mineral

Clear quartz crystal (likely quartz fragment)

Quartz, silicon dioxide (SiO₂)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Typically Mohs hardness 7, colorless to translucent, with a glassy/vitreous luster and trigonal crystal structure; lacks cleavage and breaks with conchoidal fracture. The specimen appears irregularly fractured or partly tumbled rather than a complete crystal.

Identified August 23, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Quartz forms in igneous, hydrothermal, and metamorphic environments over broad geological timescales, from Precambrian to modern deposits. Its transparency results from relatively low impurities and fractures may enhance internal reflections.

Uses & applications

Common quartz is used in glass, ceramics, electronics, abrasives, and engineered stone; clear specimens are sold as inexpensive display or metaphysical pieces. It is not generally gem-quality based on the visible fractures.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and is the principal component of many sands and granites. Similar-looking clear material can be manufactured glass, so identification should not rely on appearance alone.

Field identification & locations

Common in pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, geodes, quartzite, and river gravels worldwide. Check for hardness against ordinary glass, lack of cleavage, and—if crystalline—six-sided prisms with pyramidal terminations; a simple image cannot exclude glass.