mineral
Clear quartz (rock crystal)
Quartz, silicon dioxide (SiO₂)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectColorless to whitish, translucent with a glassy luster; Mohs hardness 7; trigonal crystal structure, typically without cleavage and with conchoidal fracture. The rough, irregular piece is consistent with quartz, though identification from the photo is not definitive.
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Physical properties
Colorless to whitish, translucent with a glassy luster; Mohs hardness 7; trigonal crystal structure, typically without cleavage and with conchoidal fracture. The rough, irregular piece is consistent with quartz, though identification from the photo is not definitive.
Formation & geological history
Forms in silica-rich igneous and metamorphic rocks and in hydrothermal veins, often crystallizing from hot fluids. Quartz occurs in rocks spanning much of Earth’s geological history.
Uses & applications
Used in jewelry, ornaments, and collecting; high-purity quartz is also used in glassmaking and electronics.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and can persist in sediments because it resists weathering.
Field identification & locations
Look for glassy translucence, hardness sufficient to scratch ordinary glass, and no obvious cleavage. Common worldwide in veins, pegmatites, and quartz-rich rocks.
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Other mineral specimens
Gneiss or Schist
Gneiss or Mica Schist with Garnet
Metamorphic
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Tumbled granite
Granite, a coarse-grained felsic intrusive igneous rock
igneous
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Pegmatite with Tourmaline and Quartz
Igneous Pegmatite
igneous
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous