mineral
Clear quartz fragment
Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectColorless to translucent, with a glassy luster and likely uneven fracture; hardness 7 Mohs, no cleavage, hexagonal crystal structure, and specific gravity about 2.65. The fragment appears rough and naturally broken rather than polished.
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Physical properties
Colorless to translucent, with a glassy luster and likely uneven fracture; hardness 7 Mohs, no cleavage, hexagonal crystal structure, and specific gravity about 2.65. The fragment appears rough and naturally broken rather than polished.
Formation & geological history
Quartz crystallizes from silica-rich igneous, hydrothermal, and metamorphic fluids; individual crystals may range from ancient geological ages to recent vein growth. Exact origin and age cannot be determined from the photograph.
Uses & applications
Common quartz is used in glass, ceramics, abrasives, electronics, and engineered stone; clear, well-formed crystals are collected or used as inexpensive gemstones.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and is strongly resistant to weathering. It commonly forms six-sided prisms with pointed terminations, though this specimen lacks a visible complete crystal shape.
Field identification & locations
Likely quartz if it scratches ordinary glass and leaves no powdery streak; transparent calcite is a look-alike but is much softer and cleaves readily. Common worldwide in granite, pegmatites, quartz veins, and sedimentary rocks.
