mineral

Clear Quartz

Silicon dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless/Transparent; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Colorless/Transparent
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified July 7, 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 Mohs scale; Color: Colorless/Transparent; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed through the crystallization of silica-rich magma or precipitation from hydrothermal veins. This specimen is likely from the prolific quartz deposits of the Paraná Basin or Serra do Mar regions in Southern Brazil.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics (oscillators), optical instruments, glassmaking, and extensively in jewelry and metaphysical collecting.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Brazil is world-famous for producing some of the largest and clearest quartz crystals ever discovered.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and hexagonal crystal habits. Common in the igneous and metamorphic terrains near Santa Catarina, Brazil.