mineral

Clear Quartz

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 Mohs; Color: Colorless; Luster: Vitreous; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct; Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 Mohs
Color: Colorless
Luster: Vitreous

Identified June 28, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 7 Mohs; Color: Colorless; Luster: Vitreous; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct; Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Forms in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments. Typically crystallizes from magma or hydrothermal cooling in veins over millions of years.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics as a piezoelectric oscillator, glass manufacturing, abrasives, jewelry (tumbled stones/beads), and gemstone collecting.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. It is highly resistant to both chemical and physical weathering.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its ability to scratch glass, its conchoidal (shell-like) fracture, and lack of cleavage. Found globally in pegmatites and river beds.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral