mineral

Clear Quartz

Crystalline Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to white/cloudy; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Colorless to white/cloudy
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified January 22, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to white/cloudy; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed in many geological environments, most commonly from the cooling of silica-rich magma or from hydrothermal veins. It can be found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks across all geological ages.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in jewelry and lapidary art. Industrially crucial for its piezoelectric properties in electronics, watches, and oscillators, as well as in glassmaking and abrasives.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Historically, it was believed by ancient Greeks to be ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt.

Field identification & locations

Identified in the field by its hardness (will scratch glass), glassy luster, and lack of cleavage planes. Found globally, with massive deposits in Brazil, Madagascar, and the United States (Arkansas).