gemstone
Clear Quartz (Cut/Faceted Gemstone)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Colorless and transparent. Luster: Vitreous (glassy). Crystal system: Trigonal. Cleavage: Indistinct/None.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Colorless and transparent
- Luster
- Vitreous (glassy)
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Colorless and transparent. Luster: Vitreous (glassy). Crystal system: Trigonal. Cleavage: Indistinct/None.
Formation & geological history
Forms in a wide range of geological environments, including igneous rocks (pegmatites), metamorphic hydrothermal veins, and sedimentary deposits.
Uses & applications
Used widely in jewelry, lapidary arts, decorative crystal objects, optical components, and quartz crystal oscillators in electronics.
Geological facts
Clear quartz is also known as rock crystal. Ancient Greeks believed rock crystal was ice frozen so hard that it could never thaw.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified by its clarity, hardness of 7 (scratches glass and steel), and lack of true cleavage. Natural faceted gemstones show characteristic double refraction under polarization compared to glass imitations.
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