mineral

Clear Quartz

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 Mohs; Color: Colorless to transparent; Luster: Vitreous; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 Mohs
Color: Colorless to transparent
Luster: Vitreous

Identified July 17, 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 Mohs; Color: Colorless to transparent; Luster: Vitreous; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Forms in a wide variety of environments, most commonly from the cooling of magma in igneous rocks like granite, or through hydrothermal veins and metamorphic processes. It is found in deposits dating from the Archean to the Holocene.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in jewelry (faceting, beads), watchmaking (piezoelectric properties), glassmaking, electronics, and as a popular collectible and metaphysical stone.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Its name comes from the German word 'quarz' and it was once believed by ancient Greeks to be ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its crystal habit (six-sided prisms), transparency, and ability to scratch glass. It is found globally, with major deposits in Brazil, the USA (Arkansas), and the Alps. Look for conchoidal (shell-like) fractures on broken faces.