mineral

Clear Quartz

Quartz (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Colorless/Transparent. Luster: Vitreous (glass-like). Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Color: Colorless/Transparent
Luster: Vitreous (glass-like)

Identified July 5, 2026More mineral →

Explore Clear Quartz in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Colorless/Transparent. Luster: Vitreous (glass-like). Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Formation & geological history

Formed from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or the cooling of felsic magmas. It is found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments globally across all geological eras.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics (oscillators), glassmaking, abrasives, jewelry, and as a popular specimen for gemstone collectors and metaphysical practitioners.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Its piezoelectric properties allow it to generate an electric charge when mechanical stress is applied.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its ability to scratch glass and its lack of cleavage (it breaks in curved, shell-like fractures). Found frequently in riverbeds, mountains, and quartz veins in bedrock.