mineral

Quartz (Variety: Rock Crystal Cluster)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to white/translucent; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 2.65

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

Identified May 23, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from hydrothermal solutions or cooling silica-rich magma; common in geodes and veins. Can form across various geological eras from Precambrian to the present.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics (oscillators), manufacturing of glass, abrasives, jewelry, and widely collected as metaphysical or decorative specimens.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Pure quartz is traditionally called rock crystal or clear quartz.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and hexagonal crystal points. Found worldwide, with major deposits in Brazil, Madagascar, and Arkansas, USA.

Other mineral specimens

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Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

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

Biotite Schist

Biotite-rich Schist [K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2]

metamorphic

Green Apatite on Albite

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

mineral